


Con Art

by Denburrito (orphan_account)



Series: Con Art [1]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/F, Hostage Situation, Kidnapping, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-20
Updated: 2013-01-30
Packaged: 2017-11-16 16:30:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 30,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/541539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Denburrito
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John decides to meet new people, despite the misgivings of his sister. If her advice proves true and strangers aren't to be trusted, how will he manage falling for one of the worst?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Does Your Daddy Know?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've begun illustrating this fic as well, and I sincerely apologise for my terrible drawings!

Pacing nervously around his bedroom, John feels his heart beating a million miles per hour in his chest. Questions were running through his mind quicker than he could comprehend half of them.  
 _“What am I doing?”_  
 _“Is this really worth it?”_  
 _“What if I make a fool out of myself?”_  
 _“What am I going to tell dad?”_  
He shook his head, at that last one. _“Am I going to tell dad?”_ it soon became. He decided to stop thinking about it. He had been ready to go for at least 20 minutes now, but she session wouldn’t start for another 30. He grabbed his jacket fussed over his appearance in the mirror one more time. He’d spent ages trying to get the look right. He didn’t want to look underdressed, but it was hard to not look overdressed as well, considering that most of his clothes were gifts from his dad. Rich kid issues. He smoothed down the front of his shirt one more time and stepped confidently out of his bedroom. _“I’ll just stop by that nice café nearby for a while before I get there.”_ He decided. It might help calm his nerves a little.

 

The house was relatively quiet apart from the din his dad was making in the kitchen.  
“I’m going out tonight, okay, dad?” He called, getting his keys out of his pocket and swinging open the front door. He used the remote on his key chain to unlock his sleek, black car and hopped inside. His nerves were starting to get the better of him, but he refused to back out now. He slid his key into the ignition and started the engine, slowly backing out of his driveway. He turned his car around as the driveway got broader, and he continued down the lengthy road. Once he reached the tall iron gates at the front of his family’s property, he punched in the pass code. The gates opened jerkily, and as soon as they were wide enough for his car to fit through, John drove forward.

He arrived at his favourite 24 hour café after a short drive into town and parked his car out front. Jacket slung over his forearm, he walked hastily up to the entrance, sweeping a few locks of dark brown hair out of his face. Bells chimed happily as he opened the door, and it made him smile a little. A young waitress came and escorted him to his seat.

Once seated by one of the side windows, a lovely secluded table hidden from the rest of the sizable café by a few decorative potplants and orange modern art sculptures. He ordered a hot chocolate, and the young waitress scuttled off to attend to his order. He sat there for a while, just taking in the atmosphere before he remembered his situation. Fidgeting slightly with a packet of sugar in the bowl in the centre of the table, John wondered what he was going to say. How did one impress people he’d never met before in such a short time? And then there was the stuff Jade had told him. She was the only person he’d been able to tell about his plans, and she was extremely unsure about it. She had warned him about _’Stranger Danger’_ and about how untrustworthy people can be. He sighed and pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind, deciding he would do well not to worry. Not long after, his hot chocolate arrived, and he accepted it with a small smile and ‘thanks’, taking the warm mug between his hands, sipping it slowly. He checked the time, and it was 6:40pm. He still had 20 minutes before the session started. He continued to take his time drinking his beverage, keeping his mind off of his misgivings, and just thinking about how nice the café looked. No wonder he liked this place so much.

Once he’d finished drinking, he collected his jacket and left, thanking the young waitress who served him, and paying the minute cost of the beverage. He nodded politely and headed for the door. Once outside, he slid his jacket on. It was really starting to get chilly out, and he was never one who liked the cold. He hurriedly hopped back into his car and made his way to the public hall/restaurant that was hosting the event. He located a parking space in the carpark behind the venue and found his way inside. He caught the elevator up to the 12th floor, and stepped out, surprised to be instantly greeted by a cheerful and curvatious lady with a flowy pink shirt and black skinny jeans on.  
“Welcome to 3 Minutes In Heaven, your local speed-dating service! My name‘s Feferi.” She announced happily, gesturing for John to come through. He nodded shyly and replied accordingly. “Please come in and sit down. You’re a few minutes early, so if you’d like you can get a drink from the bar or take a seat in the lounge while we wait for our places to fill up!” John followed both suggestions, getting a glass of water and sitting in the lounge to drink it.

A few more people appeared before 7:00, but it wasn’t until 7:10 that all of the places filled up and Feferi announced the session’s beginning.  
“Okay, I want everybody to come up here one by one and write your names on this sheet so we can arrange your first line-ups!”

It took a few minutes for everybody to get organised, but Feferi then called out the first 10 names and assigned them a table number, before assigning one of the aforementioned tables to the remaining 10 participants. John was the second person to be assigned to table 8, and he ambled over to his seat nervously. He soon sat opposite a very confident looking larger lady who boasted dazzling blue eyes and lipstick to match. She threw John a bright smile as he sat down. “Hey, I’m Vriska.” She stated before the buzzer went off to signal the start of the first 3 minutes.  
“John.” He offered, holding his hand out for a handshake. She shook firmly, hand lingering a little longer than it probably should have. After he regained his hand, he tucked it into his jacket pocket.

[](http://imgur.com/amwbX)  
“Cute.” Was all she said in response. “I can tell you don’t do this often.” John flushed a little and nodded. “Yeah, it’s my first time.” He replied. She chuckled heartily at this.  
“I’ll be nice, then. What do you like, John?” She queried, leaning her chin on one hand. He glanced around nervously for a moment, before a response even formulated.  
“I really like movies, I guess.” Her face lit up.  
“Cooooooool! I like movies too sometimes.” John eased up a little, having found a common interest.  
“Wow! What’s your favourite?” He smiles a little, not being able to keep a serious face with all of the confident energy radiating from the larger woman.  
“I don’t have a favourite as such, but I like horror movies, and pirate movies, and I loooooooove anything with Nicolas Cage in it.” He rolls her eyes to emphasise ‘love’ and smiles even more. John’s heart speeds up. This was nowhere near as hard as he thought it would be.  
“Oh, man, I love Nic Cage movies too! My favourite is Con Air.” He pushes his glasses a little further up his nose, and glances around. It looks like everyone was having a good time. Jade was wrong. These people all look really friendly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know if you find any typos, grammatical errors or even a part that you think could be written better. It would be greatly appreciated!


	2. I'm Proud Of You.

Before he knew it, the first 3 minutes were up. The buzzer went, and Feferi instructed attendees 11 – 20 to rotate anticlockwise to the next table. John was now seated opposite a rather shy short girl with dark blonde hair adorned with 2 pink bows. She pulled her green jacket a little tighter around her and looked shyly at the floor.  
[](http://imgur.com/aZfO9Xt) “Um… Hi…” She managed, with a sheepish smile in John’s direction.  
“Hey.” John replied awkwardly, not knowing how to deal with someone this shy.  
“My name’s John!” He smiled unashamedly, hoping that she might open up a little.  
“I’m Nepeta!” She chimed, still hiding a little behind her fringe. “It’s nice to meet you.” Letting out a little sigh of relief, John folded his arms casually and attempted to start conversation.  
“It’s great to meet you too, Nepeta! Tell me about yourself?” She blushed a little, but answered his question eventually.  
“Well… I’m 20 and I work in a pet store…” She trailed off as John stared at her in disbelief.  
“You’re 20? Wow! I’m only nineteen, and no offense or anything, but you kinda look like you’re 14 or something.” He laughed, amused expression fading when he caught the slightly annoyed look she was giving him. “Oh, uh..” He cleared his throat lightly, wildly trying to formulate another topic of conversation.  
“Well, um, pet store, huh? You must like animals.” He salvaged, feeling his face heat up considerably. She visibly calmed and nodded. She appeared to be pretending he hadn’t told her she looked like jailbait, much to John’s relief.  
“Yeah! I really do. My favourites are the kitty-cats we have in store! I sometimes get sad when we sell them though… I get really attached to them!” She explained.  
“Oh, boy, cats are pretty cool. I had one when I was a kid.” He reflected on his pre-teen years, when his dad had bought him a cat. “Yeah, he was great, until dad accidentally ran him over…” He just about felt the tension descend on them after that comment. Nepeta just stared at him in shocked sadness for a while. John silently urged the buzzer to go off. There was no saving _this_ first impression. They proceeded to battle through the remaining minute with the most awkward and forced smalltalk known to man.

The trip to the next table was a godsend to John after that terribly formed first encounter, and thankfully, the next 2 went without incident. He met a suave, but slightly aloof young man called Eridan who, while he was charming and talkative, was a bit of a snob. John didn’t really mind talking with him, especially seeing as Eridan’s abundant one-sided conversations left no room for error on John’s part. After that, John encountered a super grumpy guy named Karkat. He was a little gruff, but it turned out that he liked movies too (Maybe John, Karkat and Vriska could have a movie night together or something?), but he hated Nic Cage. So while they did have some differences in opinions, there was no lack of interesting conversations there. 

By the fourth rotation, John was feeling a little drained. He knew he still had so many people to go, but it was getting tiring having to re-introduce himself every time, and make smalltalk only to be moved again as soon as he started feeling comfortable talking to the last person. Speed dating was hard work. His fatigue went away as soon as he caught a glimpse of his next conversational partner. He was tall and insanely skinny with messy blonde hair, and was wearing ridiculously dark shades indoors at night. John sat down, never being able to tear his eyes away from the stranger. The blonde had a strange air of confidence and unbelievable nonchalance about him, and John had no clue how to handle it.  
“Sup?” He greeted, arms slung over the back of his chair. At this point it kind of dawned on John. This guy was a massive poser.  
“Um… Hi…” He managed, snapping out of his dazed state.  
“The name’s Dave, yourself?” John almost laughed at how this guy acted and spoke. It was totally unbelievable how this guy probably thought he was the coolest thing to exist ever, everyone else go home.  
“I’m John.” He greeted, holding a hand out for a handshake. Dave just kind of looked at it for a few seconds before shrugging and engaging the brunette in a firm handshake.  
“Cool.” Was all he said beyond that, and John could do nothing but giggle a little. The blonde was completely unperturbed by John’s reaction and instead continued to make small talk.  
“You come here often?” He asked.  
“No. It’s my first time.” John shook his head, slowly calming himself. It was Dave’s turn to laugh.  
“I know. I’m a regular.” He smiled knowingly. Once his smile faded a little, he raised one eyebrow quizzically, gesturing loosely with one hand.  
“What’s your last name, John. I think I’ve seen you somewhere before. You look familiar.” He stated, idly stroking his chin in thought. John thought for a moment.  
“Well, I guess I’m in the newspaper sometimes for the work I do in Dad’s business.” He stated, shrugging a little.  
“Yeah, that’d be it.” Dave clicked his fingers, as if in sudden realisation. “Egbert, right? Egbert Engineering?”  
“Yeah.” John confirmed with a small nod.  
“Wow. That’s a pretty big business, you must do pretty well with it. Your old man must be proud.” Dave flashed a small impressed smile.  
“Yeah… He tells me so all the time.” John admitted, feeling his cheeks heat up a little more at the subtle praise. The buzzer sounds not seconds after, and Dave takes off his glasses as he stands up. He looks John straight in the eye before he walks of, red irises burning into John’s blue ones.  
“It was real nice meeting you, John.” He states, initiating another handshake before the brunette walks off, holding his gaze all the while. That was certainly an encounter he won’t soon forget. He still didn’t know what to think about ‘Dave’. In fact, he didn’t learn much about the mysterious blonde during that encounter at all. All he knew is that he kind of hoped that it wouldn’t be their last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I'm just going to randomly throw in other characters sometimes to take up some space. Actually, I just can't randomly produce characters for the story's sake, so I'm just tossing the trolls in every now and then.


	3. Trust Exercises

The next 6 encounters with random strangers passed in a blur of mostly boring conversation. No matter where the conversation ventured or how lovely his partners were, his mind kept wondering back to the tall stranger in the dark shades. The next 18 minutes went by in a flash, and a short break was announced in order for everyone to have a drink and get away from the tedious chit-chat for a few minutes while the organisers arranged the next line ups.

John had another glass of water while he sat at the bar, glancing every now and then at Dave, wondering what was up with the mysterious blonde. The tall stranger kept worming his way into John’s train of thought even when he was pointedly thinking about something else.

The break was called to a close as Feferi announced the next line ups, which would be called as they go so everybody meets everybody. John was hardly thrilled at the prospect of meeting more people he didn’t know. More than anything, he just wanted another 3 minutes to talk with Dave. Never mind being obsessive, he was just curious, that’s all. Maybe he wanted to be friends with Dave? He just thought he was fun to talk with. Sighing defeated, John decided to stop trying to fool himself. He was undoubtedly at least a little attracted to the blonde stranger. And maybe a little curious.

Another 30 minutes passed, and John met the rest of the 10 people. He tried to seem interested, he really did, but by around 7 he was borderline falling asleep. He wouldn’t have made it to 9, except 8 was an overenthusiastic redhead in a schoolgirl outfit who cut to the chase by muttering something in broken English and groping him under the table less than a minute in.  
In one hand, he was grateful for the wakeup call, but on the other he was thoroughly disturbed.   
Thank god the next 2 went back to being rather ordinary.

Time was up quicker than John could keep up with, and while it was nice to meet some of the people and he had a few phone numbers in his pocket, but as he stood from the last table, he searched the room for the tall man in the red shirt. He spotted those reflective lenses on the other side of the room shaking hands with a toned, swarthy man wearing a black wifebeater and faded blue jeans. Not moving, John continued to watch Dave interact, waving or nodding lightly with a smile to various other attendees until the blonde turned and fixed his gaze directly to John’s. He had obviously noticed the brunette staring at him, and started crossing the room toward the other.  
“Hey, John.” He greeted with a sly smile, stuffing his hands into his pockets.  
“Dave.” John responded, getting a little sheepish after being caught ogling the taller male.  
“Look, I know it’s probably getting a little late, and that experience was probably tiring as hell, but how do you feel about grabbing a coffee or something?” He proposed, shrugging casually. Heart speeding up a little, John felt himself blush.  
“Yeah, that sounds cool.” He agreed. “Can we just walk somewhere close by? I think I need to stretch my legs a bit.” Dave smiled warmly at the brunette. It wasn’t the smug, ‘I’m cool’ smile he’d thrown all the other speed-daters, it was a genuine smile. John felt a little thrown off. He really didn’t know what to make of this guy, but he did know that he really didn’t mind his company. Even if he did turn out to be a total poser sometimes. They made their way toward the elevator, thanking and farewelling Feferi on their way. She smiled at them knowingly, and bid them goodnight as they got into the elevator together. The trip down to the ground floor felt like it lasted forever as John tried not to glance over at the taller male.  
“Do you know any good places for coffee nearby?” He queried, giving himself an excuse to look in the blonde’s direction. Dave just shrugged again, continuing to stare ahead. Or so John guessed. He couldn’t tell with those obsidian lenses obscuring Dave’s eyes.  
“Yeah, I know a few okay places we could chill at.” The elevator doors opened and he stepped out, turning back to wait for John to follow before they walked side-by-side out of the building.

It was a short walk down the street before the duo found a café they both agreed looked accommodating enough, and headed inside. They sat down at a lounge seat toward the left side of the room and flagged down a waiter. Dave ordered a regular coffee for himself, and John ordered a latte. He always preferred something sweeter than just coffee. The waiter took their order up to the barista, and as soon as he walked away, Dave removed his glasses and placed them on the table. John figured he may as well ask;  
“How come you wear those shades, at night? And indoors? Isn’t that breaking like, 3 separate rules of basic etiquette?” He wondered. Giving a light chuckle, Dave just shook his head.  
“I wear them around people I don’t know, don’t trust, or don’t know if I can trust.” He explains. “And I figured I can definitely trust a nice kid like yourself.” He smiled. John’s eyes went wide and he felt his ears grow hot.  
“Oh.” Was all he could manage. “I guess I’m honoured.”  
“You should be!” Dave joked with a light laugh. The coolkid façade gone, he was just being Dave now, and John thought he was getting a better understanding of Mr.I’m-Cool-But-Actually-I’m-Just-A-Bit-Shy.  
“Well, I think you need to tell me a little about yourself, Dave. You’ve learnt a heap more about me than I have about you!” John challenged. Dave inhaled deeply as if preparing for a really long story.  
“Well, if you insist.” He warned. “I come from a pretty big family.” He began.  
“We were all raised by my dad, cool guy. Pretty distanced, but he looked after us, so we didn’t mind. I’ve got 2 older brothers, an older sister and a younger sister. We don’t all get along at the best of times I guess. We had a huge fight when I was 16 and I moved out. My oldest brother was already on his own by then, so I moved in with him until I was finished school, then I moved out. I got a job in a game store, and that’s about it.”


	4. Conversation Is Easy.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, I've never updated something so frequently. Let's hope I keep up the motivation.

John and Dave swapped stories and learnt things about each other over coffee for a good hour. Dave was hardly shy, and had quite the time letting John know how much he disagreed with John's taste in movies. John couldn't remember the last time he had laughed so hard in a long time. His original assessment of the Blonde had since been discarded. Yeah, Dave was a bit weird, but the act he put up in the speed dating session was so much different to the Dave he was seeing now. He hoped it was because he’d gotten the taller male to open up to him.

“Oh wow…” John laughed, shaking his head at the close of another of Dave’s stories about his older sibling beating him up.  
“Yeah. My bro was always pretty full on. But I can’t say I didn’t provoke him half the time.” Dave smiled widely. Casually, Dave glanced at his watch and did a double take once the time registered in his mind.  
“Wow, Egbert, it’s getting pretty late. We should probably head off.” He stated. Taking his phone out of his pocket, John saw that it was almost 9:00.  
“Man, Dad’s probably wondering where I am…” John felt a little bad, but his Dad hadn’t tried to call him yet, so he probably wouldn’t file a missing persons report for another 20 minutes. Texting his Dad quickly, John stood slowly from his seat and flagged down the waiter. Not giving Dave the chance to take out his wallet, John paid for both their drinks, earning him a scowl from the blonde.  
“You’re just gonna have to make it up to me next time.” John winked.  
“Next time, huh.” Raising one eyebrow in question, Dave hooked his glasses over the front of his shirt. “I like the sound of _next time_.”

John slipped on his jacket again as he followed Dave out the front door. The blonde turned to him as he held the door open for him.  
“I’ll start by walking you to your car, if that’s cool.” He offered.  
“That sounds nice.” John waited for Dave to close the door behind them, waving goodbye to the older man behind the counter and leading John back toward the hall.

It was only 5 minutes walk back to the building, but John almost felt sad that he had to part ways with Dave. He’d had such a great time with the taller male, even though he was a little unsure of him at first. Once they reached his small black car, John offered to give Dave his number so they could organise their next date. He blushed a little at calling it a _‘date’_ , but he didn’t know what other word to use.  
Dave pulled two phones out of his jacket pocket, stuffing a smaller older model back in his pocket while handing a larger smartphone to John. Saving his number into Dave’s contacts, the shorter male gave the phone back. Upon withdrawing his hand, Dave caught it before it could retreat to the handle of his car door.  
“First date rules.” He states, pulling John a little closer to himself and placing a soft, tentative kiss to the brunette’s lips. He lingers for a few seconds, pulling away slowly, opening his eyes to look into John’s blue ones. He smiles at the other’s shocked silence, and the obvious blush dusting his cheeks.  
“Good night, Egbert.” He farewells, taking a small step back.  
“Uhh… G’night, Dave.” John manages, tearing his gaze away from the ground to flash a sheepish grin at the blonde before opening his car door and getting inside. Shutting the door, he waves at Dave briefly, starting up the engine and taking off.

Making a conscious effort to keep his thoughts on the road, John makes his way back home. It’s difficult to keep from thinking about different aspects of Dave that he’d taken particular notice of; anything from the feel of his lips or the scent of his subtle cologne or the way he took his glasses off slowly, revealing blood red irises. It was certainly difficult, but for fear of causing an accident in his distracted state, the brunette kept his eyes and mind on the road.

After the relatively short drive, John arrived home. He opened the tall iron gates, navigated the long driveway, parked his car and headed inside. He hoped that his Dad wouldn’t ask any questions, but he should have guessed that was too much to ask for. He had been in the door no less than 30 seconds before his Dad appeared in the doorway.  
“Where have you been for so long, John?” He queried, a hint of worry lacing his words.  
“I just- went out with some friends, Dad. You told me I should get out more, so I arranged to meet up with some.” His expression softened. Mr. Egbert was by no means gullible, but even if he did notice the vague lie, he decided he didn’t care.  
“Okay. Just be sure to let me know in advance if you think you’re going to be out late, alright?” He offered. John sighed.  
“Dad… I’m 19. You don’t have to keep tabs on me like you used to. I’m big enough to take care of myself for the most part, don’t you think?” Mr. Egbert looked a little guilty, averting his gaze from his son.  
“I’m sorry, John… I just want you to be safe, okay?” John felt his cheeks heat up. His Dad cared a lot, and he felt really bad for not letting him in more, but he needed his space.  
“Yeah, I know, Dad. I’ll at least be sure to text you a little sooner next time I think I’m going to be out late. How does that sound?” He bargained, smiling weakly. Dad’s face lights up, and John feels instantly better.  
“That sounds great, son.” He smiles fondly. “In any case, I’m off to bed. Goodnight.” He turns and heads toward his bedroom.  
“Night, Dad.” John calls out, making his way up the stairs to his own bedroom. He flops down on his queen size bed, and wriggles out of his jacket. Before he tosses it away, he pulls his phone out of his pocket. He unlocks the touch screen, swiping down the notifications toolbar. A _‘New Message’_ alert flashes up, and he taps it, opening the text message bank. It’s from an unknown number, but the message reads: _‘sup egbert. Just wanted to check what youre doin on friday?’_  
John feels his heart speed up a little as he reads it, and he reads it again to be sure. He hastily presses ‘reply’ and types out a response.  


_  
_

‘nothing, why?’  
‘i was just thinkin we could go to the movies or something.’

  
Biting down on his bottom lip to stop himself from shouting in excitement, John sends his last reply.  
 __

__

‘yeah, sounds great!’  
The reply is almost instantaneous.  
‘great. meet me at the theatre at 8.’

  
And with that, John wrestles his way out of the rest of his clothes, snuggles into his bed, and falls asleep.


	5. The cat's half out of the bag

The next few days were possibly the most boring and suspenseful days John had ever endured. He didn’t have a job, he didn’t need money, so he had little with which to entertain himself. Dave ran a local music studio during the mornings, but during the afternoons and evenings that he wasn’t working, John exchanged texts with him. They talked about what movie they were going to see, having some difficulty finding a common interest when it came to movies. But in the end Dave mentioned that one of the movies had Matthew McConaughey in it, and John begged him to let that be the one they saw. With little resistance, Dave agreed. Now John had another 8 hours to get through before his- dare he say it- date with Dave.

For almost an hour John wandered aimlessly around the house, perusing the various possessions his family members had placed around the house, looking for anything to occupy himself. After what had to have been the 14th time he’d lapped around the house, just looking around, Jade looked up from her magazine and put it down on the table beside her.   
“John.” She called after her brother, who didn’t hear her at first. She rolled her eyes as she watched him pace around in the next room.  
“John!” She tries again. His head snaps up and he looks at her, mildly confused. She gets up from her seat at the dining table and approaches her brother. She puts one hand behind his back and leads him over to the couch. He sits down and she quickly sits beside him.  
“Okay, what’s up, John? Talk to me.” She demands, looking into his deep cerulean eyes with her own emeralds. 

He just looks vaguely lost for a moment before sighing and averting his gaze.   
“I went to the speed dating session.” He explains. Her brow furrows and she almost whines at him.  
“John! Really? Even after I politely requested that you didn’t go?” She complains, making him feel the tiniest amount of guilt tug at the back of his mind. For a moment he wonders if he made the wrong decision by going and upsetting his sister, but his resolve strengthens as he remembers how he felt talking to Dave.  
“Yeah, Jade, I did go.” He replies firmly. “I went because it’s my decision, and in the end, I met someone amazing.” He defended himself, watching Jade’s slightly disappointed expression falter.  
“John…” She starts, thinking for a moment where she should take her argument. “You don’t know her that well, what if she’s not… A nice person?” She asks, trying her best not to tell John outright that his new date is a fraud or something of the like.  
“Well… Jade, between you and me, it’s not a she…” He corrects. Jade grabs one of his hands in hers, and smiles understandingly up at her brother.   
“Aw, John. You seeing a _boy_ that you only just met doesn’t make a difference to me, okay? All I want is for you to be happy **and** safe.” She elaborates. John sighs, looking away from his sister. She was only looking out for him.  
“I know. But you don’t have to worry, really.” He assures her. “I really think he’s a nice guy. And I really like him.”  
“Okay. I trust your judgement.” She settles, standing up. Before she walks away, she looks back to him again. “And for your sake, I really do hope he can make you happy like you say he can.” And with that, she walks out of the room.

For the next couple of hours- which were spent mostly cleaning his room, organising it, and then cleaning it again- John thought over Jade’s words. What if Dave _wasn’t_ a nice person like he’d shown himself to be? What if he was just pretending? All of these ‘what if’s made John start to feel a little paranoid about seeing the blonde later that evening. He was almost afraid that this time around he would see a side of Dave that he hadn’t seen before. Soon enough, there were only 2 hours left, and John was all but flipping out. He’d cleaned so much his room practically sparkled, and it took all of his restraint to leave the rest of the house as it is. Tearing himself away from cleaning, he started getting ready for going out. Starting off with a shower, he took almost as much time cleaning himself as he had his room.

After a long, hot, shower, John started pondering his outfit for tonight after spending little to no time on his hair. He waded through his multitude of clothes, fussing and worrying over what would look too fancy or not fancy enough or just plain didn’t match. Dressing to go on a date was so difficult.

His remaining 1 hour and a half flew by in no time. He’d finally decided on a plain black T-shirt with a green jacket along with some blue jeans. He decided to keep it relatively casual. They _were_ only going to see a movie, after all. He received a text from Dave shortly after, asking for directions to his house. However, after that, it wasn’t long before he heard the intercom beep, signalling someone without the code asking for permission to enter the premises.

John raced down the stairs to the front door, wrenching open the little flap on the pad of buttons, quickly punching in the code for the gates, and waiting for them to let Dave through. His heart was hammering in his chest. He hoped to god that Dad was too busy doing something else to come out and question why a strange and attractive young man was picking out his son and why did they look like they were going on a date. God forbid, should they be going on a date.

Soon enough there was a knock on the door, and John was quick to answer it. Dave stood there, looking handsome and (thank god,) just as casual as John. A wide smile found itself on John’s face before he knew it, and he rushed off to grab his wallet and phone off the bench.  
“Let’s go.” He suggested, stepping out the door. Just before he shut it, he called out “See you later, Jade!” and with that, they were off.

“You’re gonna love this movie, Egbert.” Dave informed him as they god into his car. John clipped in his seatbelt, and glanced over to the tall blond seated beside him.  
“What’s it about?” He asked. Dave’s face became an expression of subtle amusement as he started the engine.  
“You’ll find out. But it’s bound to be pretty good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't updated in so long akjdhakjdh lucky this fic has no active fanbase who cares, haha


	6. Magic Mike

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They then proceeded to have the most awkward movie date in the history of paradox space.

After a mostly uneventful car ride (aside from a few really bad jokes on Dave’s part, or awkward jokes at John‘s expense), they arrived at the local movie theatre. Dave promptly cashed in 2 pre-paid tickets while John bought popcorn and a drink for them to share. They met up out the front of theatre 1 and handed their tickets to the attendant. The tall blonde practically bouncing into the dark room, grabbed John’s hand and lead him to a pair of empty seats. Feeling a little embarrassed at Dave’s enthusiasm, the brunette settled next to Dave in the middle of a row relatively close to the front.  
“You’re gonna love this shit Egbert. This has to be the only Matthew McConaughey movie that doesn’t 100% suck.” He whispered as the curtains drew open, revealing the giant projector screen.

They sat through the seemingly endless commercials for other new movies and various sponsoring businesses, before the main feature started. The movie kicked off with Matt McConaughey walking out onto a brightly lit stage, and hyping up an already thoroughly excited crowd. John was vastly curious about what the plot of this movie was. Dave had refused to tell him a single detail about the movie they were seeing apart from who was in it and that it was going to be great. He could hardly wait to find out what was going to happen.  
The whole event went rather smoothly, and the cocky expression faded from Dave’s face after a minute, and he invested all of his attention in the movie.

The suspense was almost too much for John as the first few minutes of the movie ticked past, until the music started and the crowd cheered louder, and Matthew McConaughey walked confidently out onto the front of the stage and then he- ripped off the outer layer of his pants, leaving behind only rather revealing underpants, much to the delight of the all-female crowd. 

John’s jaw dropped. He glanced at Dave in shock and embarrassment, then back at the screen, then back at Dave. This continued for a little, while Dave just watched with a self-satisfied smile, having gotten the reaction he desired.  
“What’s wrong, John?” He asked quietly. “This movie not your cup of tea?”  
John tried to think of something appropriate to say, but only ended up staring at the blonde beside him with his mouth open for lack of words. He closed his mouth and rolled his eyes, turning back to the movie.

Needless to say, that was possibly the most painful hour-and-fifty-minutes of John’s life so far. Feeling his face heat up, watching various muscular men taking off their clothes in a more than erotic way, John felt his face heat up considerably, and it stayed that way for the rest of the movie. Even in the parts that were rather mellow or were strictly-plotline (not that there was a whole lot of that), he still felt his ears heating up, just wondering when this easy-going g-rated scene was going to turn into something a little more mature.

It was especially flush-worthy when Dave felt it appropriate to press his ankle against Johns, or bump elbows subtly. The bespectacled brunette just wished the torture would end already.

The lights in the theatre slowly came alive, casting their glow on the audience, and John suddenly felt rather self conscious and out of place upon the realisation that he was sitting in front of rows upon rows of giggling women, all gossiping about the movie. His ears felt hot again, and he felt Dave’s gaze on him. He turned slowly to the blonde and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.  
“So, what did you think?” Dave asked, clearly noticing John’s discomfort and getting a kick out of it.  
“Uhmm-” John started, completely lost for words. “It was- Wasn’t really something I’d usually watch. Not a whole lot of plotline, but it wasn’t terrible.” He managed, going for the serious approach, knowing he’d just make more of an idiot of himself if he stuttered about how ‘nononono, it was terrible naked dudes ew no, haha, I totally hate that stuff’. He’s a terrible liar.

Dave gets to his feet and stretches, arms up above his head, exposing his stomach. John, at eye-level with the bottom of Dave’s shirt, suddenly felt the sudden urge to not be sitting down, but there was no way he could stand up. He swallowed hard and looked away. Forcefully keeping his mind blank until he waited for his companion to be ready to go required a lot more of his concentration than he’d have guessed.  
“Yo, John, you feeling okay? You look a little stiff.” John just looked up at him, crossing his legs a little tighter than before.  
“Uhh, well-” He started shrugging awkwardly. Dave held out his hand, offering to help John stand up.  
“C’mon. Let’s go walk around for a bit. I’m feeling a little sore myself. Maybe we could go grab a coffee again?” John just about sighed in relief when Dave didn’t say anything about it. If he had noticed anything was off, he must have decided he’d had his ‘laughing at John in awkward and sexually frustrating situations’ quota for this evening. John forced a small laugh, accepting the offered hand and standing up.  
“Coffee sounds good.” He managed, being lead out of the theatre.


	7. Unlikely Encounters

It was a short walk to the same small coffee shop they went to the night they met. Dave hopped to the door ahead of John and opened it, stepping aside to let John past, giving him a small ironic bow as he walked inside. John laughed and shook his head as he made his way to an unoccupied table. The warm conversation on the way to the café had resolved the awkward feeling from earlier, as well as his slight ‘situation’.

Dave joined him at the table, taking the seat opposite him. A curvy waitress with long, dark blonde hair approached them, asking to take their order. John looked up at her, reciting his order (a tall hot chocolate with 2 marshmallows in it), when recognition sparked.   
“Feferi?” He wondered. She bounced on the spot, eyes lighting up.  
“Dave! John!” She exclaimed in excitement. “I haven’t seen you guys in almost a week! How have things been?” She winked, knowingly. John glanced at the setup. Dave held the door open for him, he laughed at Dave’s idiocy, then they walked together and sat at a table together and were having coffee together and they must look so comfortable in each other’s company. They clearly looked like they were on a date.

His face heated up, and in his peripheral vision, he saw Dave suppressing a short laugh.  
“Yeah.” Dave piped up. “Things’ve been cool.” He butts in. Feferi is obviously almost bursting with happiness.  
“I’m so glad the program worked out for you two!” She squealed, picking up her pad and pencil again. “I should get back to work. Do you want anything, Dave?”  
He shrugged and said “Just get me the same as John, thanks.” She scribbled down their order, and tucked the pencil back into the pocket on the front of her apron.  
“I’ll hop to it. It was nice to see you guys again! I hope that even though it doesn’t look like you’ll be attending SD anymore that I still see you around!” She calls over her shoulder, retreating back to the counter.  
“You too!” Dave and John chorused after her.

Still feeling a little embarrassed, John rubbed the back of his neck nervously.  
“Hey, it‘s still pretty early so, when we‘re finished here, do you wanna maybe-” He cleared his throat, and glanced away nervously. “Do you wanna maybe come back to my place for dinner?” He would have suggested that they go out for dinner, but they’d been out for quite a while, and on top of all of that, he was still a little nervous about doing ‘couple-y’ things in public. Coffee was one thing, dinner was completely different. Dave smirked, noticing the red hue John’s face had taken on.  
“Yeah.” He answered. “I’d like that.”

Only a few minutes later, a different café worker turned up with their hot chocolates. They said their thanks and accepted their orders, sipping at them in between bursts of conversation. This time it was John who told some interesting childhood stories about his dad’s business, and it’s huge burst in success when he was young and their moving into their current (rather large) home due to the sudden influx on money. He also told about the shenanigans of he and his slightly younger sister when they were small, and their dad’s baking hobby which bordered on addiction. All through every single moment, Dave listened, absolutely transfixed. The shades didn’t stay on for long this time either. At some point in early conversation Dave had taken them off and folded them over his breast pocket, and John found himself starting directly into those dazzling crimson irises as he spoke. It was hard to keep on track with what he was saying with those eyes concentrated on his in rapt attention.

John felt himself getting flustered as the minutes ticked by, and conversation was (thankfully) directed onto Dave, leaving John rather relieved. But not long after their digression, they decided it was time to head back to Johns for dinner. A prospect which had John both a little nervous and very excited.

They made their way back to Dave’s car, which wasn’t parked more than 3 blocks away. They hopped inside, Dave holding the door open for John, like a true gentleman, before getting into the driver’s side himself.   
“So, how’s your night been so far, Egbert?” Dave asks, a minute or so into the car trip. John laughs lightly, remembering his embarrassment in the theatre, and how he doesn’t think he’s blushed so much in one night.  
“It was different. Interesting, but different.” He answered, shaking his head at the memory. He saw Dave smile in his peripheral vision.  
“Glad you enjoyed yourself. What’d you think of Matthew McConaughey’s latest movie?” He smiled wider. John rolled his eyes in response.  
“Everything else aside, it was actually a really shit movie. I mean, come on, as far as a plotline went, they didn’t even try! It was completely focused around dudes taking off their clothes and selling drugs to other people.” He complained, gesturing widely.  
“Aw, and here I thought that would be your exact kind of movie, Egbert. All naked dudes and no story to get in the way.” He joked. John felt his face heat up again, not knowing how to respond. He decided to ignore the comment about the naked men.  
“John.” He says instead. “Stop calling me ‘Egbert. Call me John.” He requests.  
“Alright then. John.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm slowly beginning to illustrate certain parts of the story, I'll get around to it as I go, so hopefully it might make this story a little more appealing?


	8. Dinner For Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter was super short, so I'm making up for it by doing a double update tonight? That and I just felt super productive.

Pulling up in John’s driveway after John punched in the code for the gates, Dave parked his car just out the front of the house. Silently, John hoped that his Dad wouldn’t come out and greet them or even know he’d had anyone over. He didn’t think he could handle the embarrassment. And god knows, he’d had enough of that for one night.

He leads the tall blonde up to the front door, unlocking it and pulling it open. He steps aside, letting Dave walk in past him, shutting the door behind them both.  
“Welcome to the Egbert household.” He announces, taking off his jacket and placing it over the coat rack. Gesturing for Dave to do the same, he take’s the blonde’s jacket from him and hangs it up. He then leads Dave into the kitchen, seating him at the table.   
“Sorry, I don’t have anything fancy planned for tonight already, but I’m sure I can make something pretty quick that isn’t just microwaved or ordered.” He assured. Walking into the kitchen part of the joint kitchen-dining room, John searched through the cupboards for something he could cook, settling for a packet of penne pasta, a packet of carbonara sauce, chilli flakes and parmesan cheese. Heating up a pot of water and putting the pasta in, he also mixed the packet-carbonara with a cup of cream and a cup of water, managing both pots at once. Dave watched in fascination as John whipped up a homemade meal in practically no time, when he could hardly make toasted sandwiches without setting the kitchen on fire.

In less than fifteen minutes, both were finished, and he served some up for Dave and himself, topping off each bowl with chilli flakes and cheese. He carried them over to the table, placing one in front of his guest, and one at his seat, rushing back over to fetch eating utensils.  
“I hope you like pasta.” He commented, taking a seat next to Dave, who just nodded in response.  
“Yeah, man. It looks and smells way better than anything I could ever cook.” Picking up his fork, Dave is quick to try some, absolutely amazed at how the brunette made something so tasty in less than 20 minutes.  
“Jesus, John, how did you even manage this? It’s amazing.” Hastily taking another mouthful, Dave doesn’t notice John’s expression fall into that of pure horror.  
“Jade!” He greets his sister, who is leaning against the doorway behind them.  
“Hi, John.” She responds blandly. Dave turns slowly to look at her, face neutral, but his glasses are off, so it’s easy to tell that he’s a little nervous.  
“Hey.” He calls, swallowing his food. Walking over to stand beside them both, she greets Dave in return.  
“You must be John’s new acquaintance.”   
“Yeah… Jade, this is Dave. Dave, this is my sister Jade.” John introduces. Jade nods in Dave’s direction, dark ponytail swishing with the motion.  
“Nice to meet you.” She doesn’t hold out a hand for a handshake, and John is a little concerned about the aura of ‘fuck off’ she’d giving his date. He’s relieved when she turns to leave.  
“I won’t interrupt you dinner any longer than I have. Have a nice night.” And with that, she ascends the stairs and leaves them alone.  
“Is she always that scary?” The blonde asks. Laughing nervously, John shakes his head.  
“No, she was just totally against me seeing someone I don’t know that well, I guess.” He murmured, completely mortified at his sister’s appearance.  
“Don’t let her turn you away.” Dave merely shrugged.  
“Judging by this dinner, you’re too much of a perf housewife for me to be turned off my a protective sister, so don’t worry.” He assured, taking another bit. John laughed, also eating some more pasta. That didn’t turn out as horrifically terrible as John had expected.

Not long after, they were both finished eating, and John collected their dishes and put them in the dishwasher. When he got back to the dining room, Dave was standing up and stretching his back.  
“Well, it’s been a really nice night, Egbe-” He hesitated. “John.” The brunette smiled and shook his head.  
“But I think I’d better be going. Dave finished.  
“Yeah. It is getting a little late.” John agreed, leading his company to the front door, collecting his coat for him on the way. He opened the door, again letting the blonde walk out first before shutting the door behind them.  
“Thanks for a really awesome night, Dave. I had a great time.” The blonde shrugged.  
“I think I should be thanking you, dude. I think your cooking was the best I’ve had in decades. Neither my Bro or myself can attempt 2-minute-noodles without the microwave imploding.” He smirked.  
“Let’s just agree that we both had a really fun night.” He settled, letting a smile creep onto his face.  
“Yeah, we need to do this again sometime.” Dave took a small step closer to John. “Text me or something?” He asks, taking another step. John’s heart felt like it was going to beat itself out of his chest.   
“Yeah… Sure.” He breathed, as Dave leaned closer to him for what felt like hours. Getting impatient, John leaned in and closed those remaining millimetres, and pressed his lips to those of the taller man. At the sudden reciprocation, slightly awkward though it was due to a combination of John’s thick-rimmed glasses and slight overbite, Dave wrapped one arm around the brunette’s waist and pulled him closer. He could feel the heat of John’s face radiating against his own, and smiled internally at the knowledge that he could make the other get so flustered.

Dave pulled away moments later, looking directly down into John’s crystalline cerulean eyes, which stared wide-eyed back at him in both confusion and excitement. The blonde smiled at John, who offered a weak smile back.  
“Good night.” He murmured, releasing his hold on the shorter brunette. Staring wistfully at the slowly retreating blonde, John waves.  
“G’night. Talk to you tomorrow, maybe.” He offers, stepping backwards until he bumps into the front door. He watches Dave get into his car.  
“I’ll go open the gate.” He calls out as he opens the door and steps inside, heart still beating at a million miles per hour. But he’d never felt happier.


	9. Lovestruck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the unannounced hiatus, but my family and I went on a 2 week holiday, and I was super busy organising that and Christmas and everything, so writing got pushed to the back of my mind for a while.  
> Don't worry, though. I'm now going to make it up to you with a SPAM OF UPDATES. To anyone who's stuck with the story, or even if you're just reading it at all, I love every one of you and marry me please.

John watched the sleek black car pull out of the driveway with a half smile on his face the entire time. Once he could no longer see the shine of the taillights in the distance, John turned and walked back into his house, still feeling a few degrees hotter than is normal, and lighter than a feather. He bounded up the stairs, throwing open the door to his room and kicking it shut behind him as he jumped onto his bed. Rolling onto his back, he grinned up at the white-painted ceiling and interlaced his fingers over his stomach. He could still feel his heart beating hard against his ribs, and even remembering the encounter made him feel like his chest was about to burst. 

He sat up, flinging his legs over the side of the bed, and pulling himself off of the bed, straightening out his clothes. Deciding he’d had enough time to calm down up here, he had to find something to occupy himself so he didn’t go insane. He made his way downstairs again, pondering the contents of the house and the amusement it might offer. In the end, he found himself seated at the piano in the living room, lifting up the slightly dusty wooden hood. He gazed adoringly at the sleek ivory keys, wiping the top film of dust from their surface, before playing out a few scales. He hadn’t played in a while and expected to make many mistakes. Running through all the songs he could play in his head, and wondered which he should start with. As he thought, he pulled the metronome out from the cupboard beside the piano seat, placing it on top of the instrument. He picked a song that he remembered to be light and uplifting, and set the metronome at a slower speed than usual.  
He played the intro at the slow speed, but as he got used to it, he put up the speed on the metronome and continued playing it with no trouble at all, smiling fondly at the keys as his fingers jumped frantically about them. He heard Jade’s footsteps in the next room and the whistle of the kettle, but didn’t let that deter him. He was too happy for stage fright right now. He swayed slightly along with the music as he played, not paying any heed when Jade entered the living room with and sat on the couch a few metres away from him. He simply finished off the song and started thinking about what he should play next.  
“I haven’t heard you play in ages.” Jade calls over during the short interlude. Picking a simple and slightly slower and less demanding song, John starts off again, shrugging at his sister’s comment.  
“Yeah, I don’t know. I guess I just haven’t felt happy enough to play in ages.” He replied. She smiled sadly at the cup of cocoa in her hands.   
“You really do like that Dave boy, don’t you.” She sighs. The sound of the piano slowly dwindles off as John takes his hands off the keys and turns to face his sister. He places his hands on his knees and looks at her.   
”Jade, I like him more than I’ve ever liked anyone before. I can hardly explain it, I just-“ He rubs the back of his neck with one hand, looking at the ceiling for courage. “Like the first time I saw him, it felt like my heart started beating for the first time ever.” His face slowly morphed into a wistful lopsided smile as he remembered their outing today. “And whenever he leaves it stops beating again, and I just wait every day until I can see him again so my heart will start beating some more.” He explained, feeling more like he was in some soppy, cliché romance movie than anything.  
Jade just rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help a smile.   
“Yeah, yeah, I get it. _Please_ stop reciting bad romance novels at me.” She joked. John laughed, feeling his face heat up.   
“Yeah, okay.”

He turned back to the piano, putting the hood down. After that monologue he didn’t think he could handle playing for an audience, even if it was just his sister. He stood up, pushing the seat back under the instrument. He headed out to the kitchen, hoping the kettle was still hot so he could make himself some cocoa as well. He might as well see if Jade wanted to watch a movie while he was at it. He didn’t think he’d be sleeping tonight.


	10. Reality Check

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit finally begins to get real.

Dave parks a little way up the road from the Egbert Estate, pulling both of his phones out of his pocket. He replaces the newer model phone into his pocket, pressing the unlock sequence on the older, more compact Nokia. He had about 3 new texts from his Brother. He groaned quietly, opening them up one by one.  
 _“Little bro how’s the run going? I haven’t heard from you since the day before yesterday?”  
“Little bro we have clients waiting on us, if you‘re gonna take a while on this run you have to let me know so I can tell them to wait”  
“Dude give me a call as soon as you‘re not busy. I have business offers coming out of my ass and I need to know if you‘re gonna be available or not.”_  
Dave rolled his eyes and exited out of the message centre. He opened up the dial pad and typed in his brother’s number, holding the phone up to his ear and listening to the dial tone. His brother picked up after about 4 rings, and started the conversation with a raspy;  
“Hello?”  
“Yo, It’s me.” Dave greeted.  
“Oh, hey Dave. Dude, where have you been?”  
“Bro, are you stoned?” He queried, leading back in his seat.  
“Don’t distract me from my question with your own pointless ones, Dave. Of fucking course I’m stoned.” He laughed, though it sounded a little more like a cough than anything. “So what’s been up?”  
Dave shook his head at his brother’s attitude. He’d tried before to get his brother off the drugs, but the taller blonde would have none of it.   
“I’ve been scoping out Egbert.” He responded coolly. He could almost hear his brother nodding on the other end of the phone. And judging by the reasonably lengthy silence, that’s exactly what was happening. After about 30 seconds, Bro’s slow thoughts caught up with his actions and he muttered a verbal response.  
“Yeah, that’s cool. How much longer do you think you’ll spend on that hit?”  
“Shouldn’t be too much longer. I’ve got little Egbert wrapped around my little finger. The older sister fucking hates me, though.”  
“That’s good enough for me, man. What deets have you got for me?”  
“I can give you some names, loose layout of the property and address. Oh, and I also got the phone number of the son, but you could have guessed that.” Bro chuckles on the other end, and Dave couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for John.  
“That poor kid thoughts he’s found a real catch. Poor, sheltered little Egbert.” He laughed.  
“Yeah.” Dave agreed. “Well, I’m gonna get going home. Need anything?” He asked.  
There was another, slightly longer silence which Dave guesses was Bro thinking.   
“Yeah, get me some of those cookie dough sausages?” Starting up the engine of his car. Dave couldn’t help but laugh at his brother’s odd request.  
“Sure thing. See you at home.” And with that he hung up, and pulled out onto the road, making his way to the store on the way home.


	11. The closet's history

The following morning at just after 10:00, John is awoken by his phone buzzing spiritedly on his bedside table. He groans and sits up groggily, throwing back the multiple blankets and swinging his feet out of bed, noticing that his bed was much to warm to be comfortable anyway. He wiped some hair out of his face, but it stuck stubbornly to his forehead where he’d been sweating. He pulled off the loose t-shirt he’d worn to bed, and tossed it onto the end of his bed, picking up his phone at the same time. He unlocked it and opened up the message, and his spirits rose instantly as he noted who it was from.  
 _“This is a random survey. Just answer a few simple questions in order to claim a free reward._  
Are you busy today? A)yes B)no  
Do you want to meet me at the park for lunch? A) no B)yes  
If you answered B to both of those questions, meet me at the park on Wilson Street at 12:00 to claim your reward. Thank you for your participation.” Came the text from Dave. John cracked a wide smile and merely shook his head at the strange things Dave came up with. He quickly typed out a response, letting Dave know that his extra efforts were appreciated, and yes, he would be turning up to claim his reward. He pressed send with a short laugh, and set off to get himself some breakfast. (Nothing too big. 12:00 was only in 2 hours, and he didn’t want to lose his appetite for lunch!)

Jade was already downstairs, reading a magazine at the dining table with a cup of coffee in her hand. She hadn’t been awake for much longer than her brother, by the looks of it. Calling out a short greeting to his sister, John switched n the toaster, getting out 2 slices of bread and setting inside of the appliance. While he waited for them to cook, he went to the fridge and reached to grab the orange juice. His hand stopped when he spotted they also had apple juice. He liked orange juice, but he remembered that Dave had mentioned that he really liked apple juice once, so he reached for that instead. He knew he was being stupid, but he didn’t care. He didn’t have to justify which juice he drank to anyone, right? He pulled out a glass as well and poured out a glass of juice, returning the bottle back to it’s home in the fridge. At that moment, his toast popped up, and he set out a plate to put them on. Hastily plucking his toast out of the toaster, John all but threw them onto the plate before they burned his hands, and he heard Jade’s muted chuckle from the other side of the bench. He turned and stuck his tongue out at her, only causing her to laugh harder. He ignored his sister’s failed attempts to stifle her chortles, John got the butter out of the pantry, retrieving a knife on his way back to his toast. Layering on a little butter to each piece, he put the lid back on the butter and packed up all of the things he’d gotten out.  
Juggling his plate and his glass, John took the seat next to Jade, he took a glance at the magazine she was reading.  
“Don’t tell me you’re so sick of Dad’s baking that you’re gonna get him a hamster to keep him occupied so he doesn’t have enough time to make cakes.” He comments, gesturing to the magazine, the top of which read _‘The Wild Side - locally owned pet store.’_ She smiled at his theory, but denied it.  
“No, you’re the only one who hates Dad’s cake! I wanna get _myself_ a pet.” She announced excitedly.  
“Really? What are you gonna get?” John asked, taking a large bite out of his toast. Jade starts flipping the magazine back a few pages.  
“Well, this pet store is actually super neat! The owner is a friend of a friend, and she actually adopts animals from the pound that are gonna be put down if they’re not adopted and cleans them up and house trains them so they’re more likely to be given homes!” She explains, stopping at the third page. “I actually had my eyes on this one! He’s a white malamute, and I think he’s gorgeous! I’m going into the store later to meet him!” She’s already circled the article in a red pen.  
“That sounds awesome.” John comments, finishing off as much of his breakfast as he can manage.  
“Well, if all goes according to plan, you’ll be meeting him later today.”  
“I look forward to it!” He picks up his now empty plate and glass, getting up from the table and taking them into the kitchen. He sets them into the dishwasher and starts making his way upstairs.  
“Well, I’m off to get dressed. I’ve got another date today!” He calls out as he disappears around the corner.

By the time John has picked out what he’s going to wear and has begun the process of getting dressed, he hears his phone go off again. He finishes buttoning up his tan coloured shorts before he reaches over and picks it up.  
 _“By the way, don’t bring anything to our little picnic but yourself, deal? I’m making sandwiches and I’ve got a blanket, so I’m all set.”_ Read the text. John sent back a message promising his brining nothing, and pulled on a clean t shirt. A light blue one, because it was way too hot for the darker colours available. He attempted to tame his messy hair, but to no avail. Eventually, he decided he was ready to go, and pulled out his phone to check the time, and the lock screen revealed that he still had half an hour before he was expected at his date. He left his room anyway, descending the stairs and heading for the living room. He’d intended to spend 10/15 minutes playing the piano or reading before he left, but before he could get there, he heard footsteps in the doorway beside the stairs, and his fathers voice behind him.  
“Son, I heard you say something about a ‘date’. Why didn’t you say anything to me about this?” Came the concerned, and slightly hurt query. John could only wince internally, and turn to see his father’s upset and mildly disappointed face.  
“Dad-” He started, all words leaving him beyond that point. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, ultimately at a loss for what to say.  
“John, I understand that you’re old enough to be dating, but I really wish you’d brought this girl- whoever she is- home for dinner before you started going on dates independently.”  
“Oh, no, Dad, I just-”  
“Not that you need my approval to date a girl, but I would like to know just who my son is pursuing a relationship with. It’s my job as a parent to be part of your life. Why don’t you let me?”  
“Maybe it’s because you make assumptions half the time and I don’t want to disappoint you if I don’t want what you assume I want?”  
“Oh, son. I’m sorry if I did anything to make you think I’d be disappointed if you wanted to date. I could never be disappointed in you.”  
“Dad, you don’t understand. I think if you met my date, you’d be pretty disappointed.” Dad loosened his tie and took a few steps closer to John, placing a tender hand on each of his shoulders, looking into his son’s eyes.  
“Look at me. Trust me when I tell you that I will be proud of you no matter what, John.” Finally getting up the courage to look at his father, John found himself staring into those caring blue eyes, the same colour as his own, and the truth began tumbling from his mouth as soon as he met them. He could never keep things from his dad, no matter how he tried.  
“Dad, I’m in love with another man.” He mumbled, voice wavering slightly with the realisation that his dad could very well kick him out for this. Coming from Jewish heritage, a few of those customs still survived in his family. John just hoped against hope that homophobia wasn’t one of them.

For a few moments, John’s dad just continued staring into his son’s fearful eyes, but kept his face blank. If he was feeling any disappointment or disgust, he wasn’t showing it at all, John noted with a hint of respect. Without any warning, the shorter man pulled his son into a tight bear-hug, rubbing reassuring circles on John’s back.  
“Is that all that you were hiding from me? John, I always told you that I’d love you no matter what, and if this is what will make you happy, then I will support you all the way.” He mumbled into his son’s shoulder.  
“Thanks Dad.” the brunette whispered, knowing he’d probably start crying if he raised his voice any louder, and that was the last thing he needed right now. He felt his father nod against his shoulder.  
“But the gender of this person you’re dating doesn’t change the fact that he has to come to dinner so I can meet him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone picks up the relevance of Jade getting a pet I will touch their face.


	12. Convenient allergies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god these last few chapters have broken my heart, I can't QnQ

After about 5 minutes of waiting on a picnic rug on his own in the Wilson Street Park, Dave sees John’s car pull up on the side of the road across the street. Locking the car on his way, John crosses the street, and scans the park, looking for Dave. Sitting up a little straighter, the blonde waves an arm at John, catching his attention and alerting the brunette to his position.

After what felt like an hour of waving, John finally arrived at the picnic spot.  
“Good of you to notice me. Finally.” The blonde commented. John rolled his eyes.   
“The sun is glinting off my glasses in this direction. I can hardly see anything.” He argued, taking a seat next to Dave, throwing his keys, wallet and phone down beside him. “At least I’m here at all, right?”  
“Yeah, I guess. Now have some sandwiches. I spent all afternoon making them, so you’d better appreciate it.” Dave smirked, emptying two containers of sandwiches and a packet of juice boxes (apple, naturally.) from the basket. He opened both containers and placed them between him and John, setting to unwrapping the juice boxes.  
“What’s in these?” John asked, picking up one from each container and checking them out.  
“The ones in the blue container are ham and cheese and the red are PB and J.” Dave responded, scrunching up the plastic and putting it back in the basket.  
“Oh, wow, good thing I asked!” John hastily replaced both sandwiches, standing up.   
“Something wrong?” Dave asked, looking rather concerned.  
“Well, a little bit. I’m actually allergic to nuts. I should have mentioned it earlier, sorry!” He apologised.  
“Nah, dude. Don’t worry. Bro can have the PB and J ones later. We’ll deal with the rest.” He decided, closing the red container, careful not to touch anything that could set off John’s allergy.  
“It’s nothing too severe. Only if I eat anything with nuts in it, or touch it and then lick my fingers or something.” The brunette explained.  
“I should go wash my hands, but I need to get some soap out of my car. Can you press the button on my keys to unlock it for me?” Dave picked up John’s keys, and after some fumbling, pointed the remote at the car and pressed the button. A few of it’s lights lit up, signalling that is was close enough to be unlocked.   
“Thanks.” John muttered taking off for his car. “Be back in a minute!” He called over his shoulder. 

Dave watches the brunette rush across the street, struggle with the car doors, attempting to open them without using his hands and then settle for asking a passer by to do it for him. After receiving many strange looks, he finally retrieves some soap from his glove compartment, (opened with a cloth he keeps on the dashboard) and kicks the door closed. Dave locks the car again, just to be sure, and watches John enter the public toilet not far away.  
As soon as he’s certain John is inside, Dave picks up the brunette’s wallet, and opens it up. Inside are a few receipts, a library card that is more than a few year out of date, a few coffee shop membership cards, and finally an ID card. Dave snaps a picture of it and places it neatly back in the wallet. He next pulls out a bank card and snaps a picture of that too. Beyond that there’s nothing of interest, so Dave makes sure everything is as he left it, and puts it back. He also picks up John’s phone and looks through it for anything the could be useful. It’s not password protected, he notes, opening John’s Bluetooth centre. He opens up the same in his own phone, selecting an invisible tracking program of his brother’s own design to be sent to John’s phone. He glances up behind his shades to see John walk out of the public toilet and check the road for cars before beginning to cross.   
Realising that John had probably seen him holding his phone from there, Dave hastily snaps a picture of himself pulling a stupid face and sets it as the background, to make it look like he’d just been pulling a harmless prank. He sets it back next to the brunette’s wallet and keys before returning to watching John cross the car to get to him, dodging a group of kids on the way. 

As he sits down again, he throws Dave a mock suspicious look in return to the self-satisfied expression the blonde was displaying. Picking up his phone, John slid his thumb across the screen to unlock it. As soon as he spotted his new background, he slapped a now clean, and still slightly wet, hand over his mouth before bursting out in wild laughter.  
“Dave!” He scolded playfully, as soon as he managed to take a breath amongst the onslaught of mirth. The blonde took off his glasses and sat them well aside, before reaching out and pulling the still chortling brunette into his lap. John’s laughter eased up with the surprise of being relocated, and he stuck to the occasional giggle as Dave took off his own thick rimmed glasses as well. Once both pairs of eyewear were well out of the way, Dave placed a hand on the back of John’s neck, pulling him down into a deep, slow kiss. He could feel the embarrassed heat radiating from his dark-haired partner, but he himself didn’t give a damn about the other people in the park. Eventually, he seemed to become more at peace with the idea of making out in public and started returning the sentiment just as enthusiastically.

Neither of the two remember just how long they sat there, kissing in the middle of the park, but eventually John pulls away, deciding to end the exchange.  
“My Dad wants you to come over for dinner with the family.” He announces out of the blue. Dave doesn’t look overly fazed, but he’s good at looking the opposite of how he feels. The idea of dinner with daddy Egbert, while it would probably be beneficial to his current job, is also dangerous for the same reasons. But he doesn’t have much of a choice in the matter.  
“When’d you guys mind having me over?” He asks, keeping the same nonplussed expression. John sighs in relief, as if he were worried Dave would get up and walk away at the revelation.  
“Whenever you’re free.”  
“How does Tuesday sound?” John smiled a wide smile, wrapping his arms around Dave’s shoulders.  
“Tuesday sounds great.” He confirms, leaning in for another kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, just a warning, the next chapter and a few others here and there will be a filler of sorts and will be focused on Jade. As such, you don't have to read them to keep up with 'important story details' because they're not really relevant to the overall plot, but I wouldn't recommend skipping them  
> It's your call, though!


	13. Becoming a pet owner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where Jade getting a pet starts to kind of become relevant!

Jade sat in the kitchen, awkwardly listening to John and Dad’s father-son moment from the kitchen/dining room area. She sighed, flipping through her magazine some more, choosing to let them sort themselves out.  
She flipped slowly through the booklet, a smile slowly developing on her face as she perused it’s green pages. She’d already visited the pet store once, only wishing to see what kind of pet she might be interested in owning, but she was pleasantly surprised when more than the pets caught her attention.

She’d thought for her entire life that her brother was one of the finest examples of a heterosexual male in existence (second only to their father, of course), but after he’d come out to her about his feelings for Dave, it’d prompted a few questions in her own mind about her thoughts toward other women. She had never paid a whole lot of attention to anyone in a romantic way- whether they be male or female, but she’d been able to appreciate attractive traits in both sexes. She knew for certain that she would never turn someone down based strictly on their gender, but she didn’t know if that meant she was bisexual or what.

Things were confusing.

But, deciding to push the thoughts out of her mind, Jade had gone on her search for a pet. But once she turned up to pick up her new companion, she was greeted by the most adorable being she’d ever encountered.  
“Hi! Welcome to The Wild Side! How may I help you?” She greeted cheerily, rushing to Jade’s side upon entering the store. Speechless for just a moment, examining the rather short girl that approached her, Jade felt her face grow a little warmer. Shaking herself out of her trance, she smiled warmly at the shorter girl.  
“Hello! I’m looking for a dog. Well, I looked through your catalogue and there’s a specific one that I would like.” She stated. The shop worker’s face split into a wide, excited smile.  
“Really? That’s wonderful! Which one did you like?” She asked, leading Jade by the hand to the back of the store, where she assumed the pets were kept. Trying desperately not to stammer, she answered.  
“Well, there was a gorgeous white malamute that I really liked.” The worker clapped her hand on the side of her face.  
“Wow! I know the one you mean. He’s a real sweetie. I’m not all about dogs- I’m more a fan of cats, myself- but he’s a really good dog.” She gushed, leading Jade up to one of the back rooms, full of different pens and enclosures where dogs were barking and playing and sleeping.  
“He’s up the front here.” They stopped just in the doorway, and the girl opened the door to the large pen (which was more like a room) with the key on her lanyard. As soon as the door swung open, the large white dog, bounded out, panting in excitement, and bowled Jade straight over.  
“I’m so sorry! I should have warned you-” The worker started, cutting off when she heard Jade’s giggling and squealing as the dog pinning her down licked her face. Sitting up, with a great amount of effort, Jade managed to get the dog to stop attacking her with affection.  
“Sit.” She commanded, and straight away, he obeyed. “Good dog.” She knelt down to pet him, and his tail started wagging at a million miles per hour. She smiled up and the worker, smiling brightly and avoiding getting licked on the face.  
“He’s perfect.” The attendant, tucks a lock of short, dirty-blonde hair behind her ear.  
“I’ll go fetch a leash and the paperwork you need to adopt, shall I?”

“So your name’s ‘Jade Harley-Egbert, huh?” The shorter girl asked, seeing the brunette write it on the page.  
“Yeah.” Jade confirmed, finished up signing the necessary papers while her new dog (She’d named him Becquerel,) sat patiently by her side, tail still wagging subduedly.  
“Okay, you need to take this one with you- keep it somewhere safe- but we keep these two.” The girl said, handing one sheet over to Jade. She also pulled out a scrap piece of paper from beside her.  
“Now I don’t do this for everyone,” She started, eyes focused on the paper. “But malamutes can be difficult to manage sometimes. So here-” She handed Jade a small sliver of the paper. “-is my phone number. If you need anything at all, have any questions, or have something you’d like my help with, call me and I’ll be right over!” She beamed.

Jade looked down at the girl’s extended hand, face heating up slightly as she took the piece of paper. She looked it over, reading the name written on top.  
 _‘Nepeta Lejion-_  
0457894453 :3’  
A slight smile made itself known before she could stop it, and she nodded politely.  
“Thanks! That’s very kind of you.” She gripped the leash tighter. Nepeta made her way around the counter, walking with Jade to the door. She opened the door and held it open, stepping aside to let the dark-haired girl pass.  
“Wait-” She stopped Jade before she could continue walking with a small hand on her shoulder. The brunette turned slowly, hoping her embarrassment wasn’t too obvious.  
“Look, are you busy next Wednesday?” She asked, leaving her hand on the other’s shoulder. Jade stood in shocked silence for a moment.  
“No. Not that I know of.”  
“Well.” Nepeta glanced away shyly. “Maybe you wouldn’t mind catching up? We could go shopping for a few things you might want or need now that you own a dog?” She asked, eyes gleaming in excitement. Jade smiled down at her.  
“You can count on it. Text me when and where, and I’ll be there!” She promised, making Nepeta start giggling uncontrollably.  
“That rhymed!” She commented, taking her hand off of Jade’s shoulder. Once she stopped laughing at Jade’s unintentional poetry, she waved politely.  
“Well, I’ll see you on Wednesday!” Jade waved in turn and exited the store.  
“I can’t wait! Bye!” She called over her shoulder, leaving _The Wild Side_ behind her.


	14. Meeting the family

Tuesday rocked around with little warning for Dave. During the day, Dave rushed around making sure he had everything ready to go for dinner at the Egbert residence later that evening. He shopped for some new clothes, dressing it up for his first meeting John’s family, and he also bought gifts for both Jade and Mr Egbert, so he didn’t look bad turning up and taking advantage of their hospitality. He was treating it almost as if it actually mattered to him.

A few times, Dave had to remind himself that he was only on a job, and that he should never have gotten this attached, so he just had to refrain from getting any closer, and he’d be fine.

At 7:30pm (half an hour before the meeting time they’d agreed on via text), Dave found himself standing before his bathroom mirror, running his fingers quickly through his hair in order to make it have his usual ‘I didn’t even try doing my hair’ look, but perhaps make it a little less messy than usual. Just a little bit.   
Satisfied with the way he looked, he left the bathroom, grabbing his jacket off the door on the way, and made his way to the front door of his and his brother’s apartment. Grabbing his gifts for Jade, John and Mr. Egbert off the counter, he noted that he hadn’t seen his brother all afternoon. Then again, it wasn’t uncommon for Bro to seclude himself somewhere in the house for days on end.  
He turned back as he reached the front door, still searching for any sign of his brother.  
“Going out for a while, Bro. I’ll be back later. Don’t text me.” He called out, shutting the door behind him and making for the stairs at a leisurely pace.

Taking his sweet time, (He did still have another 25 minutes before John was expecting him) Dave made his way down the rather lengthy flight of stairs and exited the building. His car was parked only a few metres from the entrance to the apartment building. He sat in his car, pulling out his watch before he started up the engine. There were still 22 minutes until he was expected, so he started up the engine and decided he’d find somewhere to sit and think through his strategy before he headed over to the Egbert residence. It couldn’t hurt to have a plan of attack. This was only a job after all.

Bringing his car to a halt, Dave found himself back at the park on Wilson Street that he and John had met up at only a few days prior. Searching for the spot where he’d sat on the rug with John, he felt a tug of warmth as he remembered their intimate moment shared at that place. It’d also been the place where he’d retrieved some of the most useful information so far in this heist. As soon as he remembered snooping through John’s wallet and phone, and his intentions throughout the entire time he’d been in contact with the brunette, he felt a wave of grief and guilt wash over him. John clearly trusted him, despite his sister’s doubts and he’d been using him the entire time.

If Dave had ever had any feelings of guilt about past jobs, this one made those pale in comparison. He felt terrible.

Sitting in the front seat of his car, Dave tore his gaze away from that spot. He couldn’t bear to look at it any longer. He took off his glasses so he could rub the side of his face in attempt to sober himself up. Such thoughts would help nobody. He was in too deep to make good with John now, no matter how much he wished he could. What was another broken heart on his list?

Checking the time, Dave had been sitting at the park for about 15 minutes, leaving him 10 more to drive to the Egbert estate. Starting up his engine and putting his glasses back on, Dave drove off, doing his best to put any emotional attachment to this job behind him.

 

Pulling up in front of those familiar wrought iron gates, Dave pressed the intercom button to announce his arrival. Waiting only a few moments, the gates started to open, and he sent his thanks over the speaker. He slowly navigated the winding path, parking behind John’s car in the courtyard, and hopping out, only to be greeted by John running out and catching him in a crushing embrace.  
“You’re here! God, I’m so glad. Dad’s been quizzing me all night about you. Now he’ll finally get to hear all about you from your own account.” He laughed. The blonde forced out a laugh as well, but he could hardly ignore the pain stabbing in his gut as he looked into those vivid cerulean irises and saw the excitement and adoration shining there, just for him.   
“Let’s go inside and meet Daddy Egbert, then.” He announced, taking off his shades and sitting them on the dashboard and picking up his gifts from the passenger seat, shutting and locking the door behind him. As soon as his car was all sorted, he followed the brunette inside.

Dave couldn’t deny that he was feeling nervous about meeting John’s dad. He couldn’t tell whether it was because he was attempting to swindle the man out of some of his fortune, or if it was because he actually wanted to be seen as an adequate partner for John in his Dad’s eyes. Which it was, it hardly mattered. Because once this job was done he would go out of his way to never see any members of the Egbert family again, so it didn’t matter what they thought of him.

“Dad’s just making dinner. Once he’s finished, he’ll serve and then come and sit with us.” John informed the blonde, hooking his arm in Dave’s own. He turned and looked up into the other’s unique scarlet eyes, and upon seeing he confusion and worry there, squeezed his arm lightly.  
“Don’t worry about it, alright? Dad’s gonna think you’re awesome, just like I do.” Dave laughed lightly at that comment, putting a humorous spin on it in his nervous state.  
“If your old man likes me like you do, you might have some competition on your hands.” He smiled, forgetting his earlier unease.

John lead him into the dining room, and he noticed Jade already sitting at the table.  
“Hi.” She greeted him, getting up from her seat, she walked around the table and engaged the blonde in an obligatory handshake. Dave awkwardly returned her greeting, still slightly afraid of the tall dark-haired girl.  
“Look, I’m really sorry I was an asshole last time you were here, I feel like a huge fuckup for jumping to conclusions about you so soon.” She gushed, looking genuinely apologetic. Dave put a hand on her shoulder to stop her ramblings, and handed her one of the gifts in his arms.  
“Don’t worry about it. I actually bought you this as a peace offering. And as a thanks for letting me take advantage of your hospitality twice in a row.” He explained, with a slightly amused smile at Jade’s shocked expression.   
“Oh, Dave, you didn’t have to do anything! I feel terrible now for being so rude, you’re so thoughtful!”   
She opened up the small bag the gift was placed in and took out one of the items concealed inside.  
“I heard from John you got a new dog, and I thought some of this might come in handy.” He could feel his palms becoming slightly damp at Jade’s praise and apologies about him being not a jerk like she thought, when he knew that her first impression hit closer to home than she originally thought.  
Thanking Dave for the gifts, she gestured to the back of the house.  
“Speaking of Bec, would you like to meet him?” She asked, getting visibly excited at the prospect of showing off her new companion. John glanced at Dave, gauging his reaction (which was impossible), before looking back at his sister. Dave shrugged slightly.  
“Yeah. Sounds cool.” He responded. Jade clapped her hands in excitement, dragging them both to the back of the house and opening the laundry door.

As soon as there’s enough of a gap between the door and the wall for him to slip through, Bec rushes out and jumps up on Dave knocking him back into the wall behind him. Forepaws on Dave’s chest, pinning him to the wall, Bec leans up and licks Dave on the chin, tail wagging wildly. John tried his best not to laugh as Jade pulled her dog off of Dave, but ultimately failed.  
“Oh, man, he really likes you!” John manages in between fits of manic laughter.  
“Yeah, John. Thanks for helping when I’m being attacked by a fucking wolf. You clearly care about my wellbeing.” He deadpanned, making Jade laugh as well as she commanded Bec to sit.  
“You’re just lucky he’s cute and I don’t care.” He added, kneeling down to ruffle the dog’s thick fur and scratch behind his ears, smiling subtly.  
“Dinner’s ready, Kids.” Mr. Egbert called from the kitchen.  
“Okay, Dad. Dave’s just meeting Bec.” Jade called in response  
“Make sure to wash your hands before eating.” He called back.  
“Okay Dad.” Jade rolled her eyes, “C’mere, Bec!” Jade called, patting her knees. The dog got up and pranced over to his owner as she lead him back into the laundry.  
“The bathroom’s just next door.” John informed, leading Dave into the next room.

John left Dave and Jade to wash their hands and instead headed into the kitchen to help his dad serve up dinner. Dave was getting on surprisingly well with one family member, and there was only one left to impress.


	15. 20 Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm doing my best to update as regularly as I can, sorry I suck at remembering to write. Have chapter 2 of awkward-dinner-with-John's-family.

Jade and Dave entered the dining room just as John and Mr. Egbert were setting dinner on the table.  
“Take a seat, guys.” John gestured cheerfully at the two seats with a plate of food set in front of them. Jade followed her brother’s instructions, but Dave merely knelt by the doorway and rummaged through his bag, looking for the gift he’d brought for John’s dad. He waited until the older Egbert had his hands free before approaching him, holding out the gift bashfully.  
“I bought you something. I guess it’s thanks for having me over, and for not flipping out about me and John.” He shrugged, handing over the rectangular package.  
Mr. Egbert looked mildly confused for a moment, furrowing his brow as he took the gift from Dave.  
“Now, Dave, you didn’t have to bring anything. I merely wanted to meet you. It was no trouble at all.” He assured. “Thank you so much for your consideration, though. It was so thoughtful of you to get something for me.” He continued, pulling neatly at the tape that bound the plain brown paper wrapping, careful not to rip it in an untidy fashion. Folding the paper messily under his arm, he stared in awe at the rather extensive book he held in his hands.  
“My dear boy, this is most kind of you. Thank you so much.” He started again, placing it on the table and pulling Dave into a brief embrace, being sure not to make the blonde uncomfortable.  
“John said you liked baking a lot, and this book is only new out, so I figured you wouldn’t have it yet.” Dave explained, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, embarrassed by the praise he was receiving.  
“I don’t already have this one. I’ll add it to my collection.” He states simply, clapping Dave on the shoulder and hobbling off to add the new cookbook to the nearby bookstand full of various how-to and baking instruction and information books.

Once the thick cookbook was situated at the very top of the bookstand, Mr. Egbert joined the others at the table. He took one of the two seats still available (both at the head of the table), and looked around at his children and Dave.  
“What are we waiting for, please eat.” He requested, clapping his hands together in a fashion that made the scene seem, to Dave, like it was straight out of your generic, cliché family comedy movie. He just hoped that the comedy part didn’t happen.  
Everybody picked up their forks, and started eating, and Mr. Egbert gave a short explanation about what he’d put into dinner and how he’d cooked it. (All Dave registered was that it was a roast, the rest meant nothing to him) But not long after, the questions began.  
“So, Dave- is Dave short for anything? I feel odd calling you ‘Dave’, it seems too familiar for a first meeting. But, of course, hearing about you from John, it was all I was told.”  
“Nah, it’s just Dave. Not David or anything.” The blonde explained, feeling colour spread to his cheeks.  
“Very well. Hopefully we’ll get familiar enough for it to not be strange soon enough.” Mr. Egbert joked, sending another shock of cold guilt through Dave’s thoughts.  
“Yeah. I hope so.” He responded robotically, forcing a friendly smile. Luckily, nobody seemed any the wiser.  
“Well, now that’s sorted out, tell me about yourself, Dave. What do you do for a living?”  
“I own a local music studio that’s open to new artists. Nothing too big.” He shrugged.  
“John’s told me a little about your company. Engineering, right?” Mr. Egbert had none of Dave’s attempt to change the topic of the conversation.  
“Now now, Dave. Don’t be modest. Yes, I own an engineering company, but we’re talking about you right now. We can hear about my job escapades later.” Dave’s heart dropped into his stomach at the prospect about giving the whole Egbert-Harley family a de-brief on the ins-and-outs of his life, especially when he was at real risk at giving away clues to his other, more lucrative, job.  
“What about family. What do your parents do?”  
“Well,” He started, thinking hard about how to tell this story without it turning into a novel. “I don’t see much of my parents anymore.” Mr. Egbert looked a little lost for a moment, like he had no clue how to react, and was clearly struggling with what to say now.  
“Don’t worry about it.” Dave interjected, before the older man said anything that would embarrass him. “They weren’t too fond of me when I was younger, so I moved out to live with my older bro when I was 16.” He explained. “Totally my choice, and my Bro looks after me.” Mr. Egbert smiled.  
“I’m glad. Now let me rephrase that question: What does your brother do?” Dave felt his face heat up considerably, and he knew that everyone could see it, which just made him blush more. This was so uncool.  
“My, uh… My Bro does a lot of I.T stuff, like making websites and stuff.” He half-lied. Aside from smoking crack all day and running con operations, his brother ran a website that sold ‘adult products’. But there was no way he was about to tell John’s family that. He could live happily if they never found out.

He could live happily if they never found out about a lot of things. As soon as the thought had occurred, Dave shook it from his mind. Stuff like that was no good to him. He was in way too deep to back out now.  
“That is rather interesting. What’s your brother’s name?”  
“Dirk.”  
“Very unique.”  
“I guess so.”  
“Where about in town do you live?”  
“Just on Callum Street off the main road.”  
“That is a bit of a drive away, isn’t it. Don’t you get tired of driving so far?”  
“No, it’s fine.”  
“So, tell me, how did you and John meet?” Both boys’ eyes went wide, and they looked at each other. John laughed dryly.  
“I uh, I don’t think that’s a story for the dinner table, Dad. Maybe next time.” Mr. Egbert looked a little apprehensive, but agreed to drop the subject.

Much to Dave’s relief, Mr. Egbert then directed conversation in Jade’s direction, asking a few questions about Becquerel, and John turned to Dave.  
“Sorry about 20 Questions.” He whispered, looking a little sheepish. The blonde shrugged, ultimately nonplussed by John’s father’s eagerness to get to know him.  
“It’s fine, dude. Like I wasn’t expecting the whole interrogation when I signed up to meet your family.” He smirked. John shook his head, chortling lightly.  
“I guess I couldn’t have expected any less from you. But thanks for coming. It means a lot to my Dad to finally meet you. And it means a lot to me for you to meet him too.” The brunette looked genuinely grateful when he finally met Dave’s gaze, unshielded and exposed with the absence of his shades, and the blonde was left completely speechless. Memories of his bad intentions and his previous feats flooded his mind, and he felt the colour drain from his face as he thought of how he was putting these amazing and kind people through the agony of losing almost everything, and he simply uttered a brief;  
“Don’t mention it” And flashing a quick smile before asking to excuse himself for a moment.

Locking the bathroom door behind him, Dave all but collapsed onto the bench beside the sink. Turning the faucet on cold with trembling hands, he washed his face a few times, hoping he could freeze away the memories and intentions of his past. He was in way over his head and he didn’t know what to do.  
He dried off his face with the towel beside the porcelain structure and prepared himself for round two of marvellous acting before heading out the door to rejoin dinner.


	16. Second thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes I remember that people actually read this, and then get motivated to write. That's what happened this time. And every other time. So here, have a chapter.

John was extremely worried about Dave. He’d rushed off halfway through dinner to go to the bathroom, and it seemed a little suspicious to the brunette. He hoped that his Dad hadn’t said anything to offend Dave, or that he wasn’t having second thoughts because his family scared him. He really did want Dave to get along with his family, and things seemed to be going so well up until that point. He hoped it was just nerves or something that could easily be forgotten or overcome.

His worries were abated when Dave returned to the table, a slight smile on his face and looking all around better. They chatted a little about normal person things, like world happenings and politics, not without Dave’s ‘interesting’ commentary. Everything was going well.

Soon enough, dinner was finished and Dave announced that he should be heading home soon. He bade Mr. Egbert and Jade farewell at the table, while John walked him to the door. Once they stood on the porch, Dave leaned down and kissed John on the cheek.  
“Yo, I had an awesome time tonight.” He whispered, heart clenching painfully as he realised that he wasn’t lying, for once. “I really did.” He cupped John’s face with one hand and leaned down to kiss him on the lips before walking to his car with a brief wave over his shoulder. John went inside to open the gates, not before pausing to smile adoringly at Dave and waving in return.

The blonde drove his car back around the bend until he reached the gates, which were already beginning to open jerkily. Once there was enough space between them for his car to fit, he continued down the drive, which shortly opened up onto the road, and he began the drive home.

Unfortunately for him, Dave now has 15 minutes alone with his thoughts, and all that runs through his head is how much of a bad person he is and how much he’s messed up. He thought of Jade and Mr. Egbert, and how nice they were. He wishes they’d never come up on his brother’s list. He feels bad enough already, but then his thoughts drift to John. He immediately pulls over into the side-street and parks his car, leaning his folded arms on the steering wheel and burying his face in them. He feels the tears soak through the sleeve of his shirt before he realises he’s crying, and he throws his head back and yells incoherently, bashing his fist into the wheel. The horn goes off and jerks him from his rage, leaving nothing but regret and guilt and hot tears behind. He covers his face with his hands and leans his forehead back on the steering wheel, shoulders shaking with silent sobs. The only coherent thought he can register is that he has no idea what he’s going to do. And that he’s absolutely in love with John.

It’s a good 5 minutes later that Dave calms down enough to lift his head and wipe his eyes on his sleeve. He still feels fatigued and drained from the surge of emotion, but nonetheless, he slips his key back into the ignition and starts the engine, finally finishing the journey home, hoping his brother is too stoned to notice any difference in him.

Much to his surprise, Bro isn’t home like usual, so he lets his shoulders slump and doesn’t worry about looking as worn out as he feels. Tossing off his clothes as he walks, not bothering to check where they land, Dave ambles to his bedroom, closing the door behind him. Once he’s only wearing his boxers, he all but collapses onto his bed, beginning to fall asleep before he’s even managed to wiggle the covers out from underneath him. He was about to forget them and go to sleep, until a series of beeps resounds throughout the room, originating somewhere near the door. Sitting up with a groan, Dave realises that he’d thrown his jeans off beside the doorway, and stumbles over to retrieve his phone. Sitting on the end of his bed, he unlocks the small, old-style phone.  
 _‘how was dinner with the Egberts, little bro? Find out anything interesting?’_  
Dave scoffed and rolled his eyes, bashing the reply button.  
 _‘no, I didn’t learn anything important, but that doesn’t matter anyway, because the deals off. I’m not conning the Egberts out of anything, or anyone else. Ever. I’m done.’_  
He holds down the off button until the screen goes black before tossing his phone across the room carelessly. He shuffles back up until he’s sitting up closer to the head of the bed. He throws back the covers, hauls his legs up onto the bed and snuggles down into his blankets, forgetting everything and going to sleep. He could deal with Bro in the morning, if he’s even home by then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> I'm not sorry.


	17. Flowers with class

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update! Yes!
> 
> Also can I just say that I honestly didn't think I'd manage to get this story past 4-5 chapters, because nobody would read it and I'd lose heart? Well thank you to everyone that's read it, left kudos or left comments, because they mean so much to me, and you guys are really the ones who have kept the chapters coming, and you're all amazing, and thank you!

John opened his eyes slowly, blinking against the harsh morning light. Glancing at the clock on his bedside table, he knew it was 9:00 in the morning. As far as he knew he had nothing to do today, and he was so tired. So despite it being well past time to get up, he rolled over and went back to sleep.

An hour and a half later, he was rudely re-awakened by Jade. She was shaking him gently and calling out. He groaned and tried to push her away, but to no avail.  
“John! John, get up! There’s a delivery for you!” She called relentlessly, clearly more excited than John about this. Sighing heavily, John pushed himself up into a sitting position.  
“Fine, fine, I’m getting up. Geez, Jade.” He grumbled, slowly easing himself out of bed. She rushed out of his room, waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs.  
“Hurry up!” She rolled her eyes, and John made a point to slow down, just to annoy her. Sweeping her long, dark hair over one shoulder, Jade left without her brother for the living room. Letting out a breathy laugh and deciding he’d tormented her enough, John bounded down the rest of the stairs, feeling considerably more awake than before.  
“How come you’re so excited when the delivery’s for me?” He asked, rounding the corner into the living room. He spotted what was sitting on the coffee table, and his eyes went wide. Jade jumped up and down in excitement.  
“They’re from Dave! That’s so sweet!” She exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

John approached the table, picking up the oversized bunch of flowers and looking them over, shaking his head in disbelief. He laughed, thinking about how uncool and cliché it was for Dave to send him flowers, but how amazingly sweet. There was a little card attached to the paper around the base of the stems, and John pulled it off, turning it over in his hands.  
“I’ll go get you a vase.” Jade offered, leaving the room. John opened the card and attempted to read what was written in the inside. It was frustratingly difficult because not only was John not wearing his glasses, but the note was written in annoyingly bright orange gel pen. Shading it with his hand, he finally managed to make out the words.  
 _‘Dear John,_  
meet me at the Gloria Jeans on the corner of Walker and Oak street today at 12:00?’  
It read. The brunette couldn’t help but smile giddily. He turned around to examine the clock on the wall behind him and noted that it was 11:15. Perfect.  
“Found one!” Jade called from the kitchen. John met her in there, just as she was getting up and closing one of the bottom cupboards shut, picking a baby-blue vase up off the counter. She filled it with water, and then they walked to the dining table together. Jade placed the vase down in the centre of the table. At the same time, John removed the paper from the flowers, placing it on the table before using both hands to fit the towering bunch of flowers into the vase.  
“Great.”  
“Thanks for your help Jade. Now I’ve gotta go get ready. I’ve got another date.” He waved the card so she could see and raised one eyebrow suggestively.  
“Could you make me some toast?” He called as he bounded up the stairs toward his bedroom.  
“Yes.” Jade called in an exasperated tone.  
“Thanks!” Came the distant reply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Points also to whoever figures out what went wrong this chapter.


	18. Double trouble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of your comments! I could hardly believe it! This time yesterday there were 21 comments, only 14-15 of which weren't my replies, but I log on tonight and there's 40-something! You're all amazing, and keep me motivated, so thank you! :D

Not long after John had left, Jade was sitting at the dining table, staring at the note with Nepeta’s number on it. She really wanted to call, but she didn’t want to seem too forward or too eager and she didn’t want to annoy the shorter girl or seem like a stalker.  
“Augh.” She rolled her eyes, picking her phone up off the table and dialling the number. Getting up from her seat, she began pacing around the kitchen and dining room as she listened to it ring. She half contemplated hanging up, seeing as she had no idea what to say, but before she could seriously consider it, the ringing stopped and a voice on the other end resounded that made her heart flutter briefly.  
“Hello?” The cheerful voice chimed. Breathless for a moment, Jade cleared her throat quietly.  
“Hey, Nepeta. It’s Jade.” She clarified.  
“Oh! Hey, Jade! What’s up? Is anything wrong with Becquerel?” She queried, sounding slightly concerned. Jade realised that Nepeta didn’t think she had any other reason to call other than her dog, and suddenly felt a little self conscious.  
“Oh, no, no, no, no. Everything’s fine!” Sweeping a long lock of dark hair behind her ear, she sat back down at the dining table. “Actually, I was just wondering if you wanted to go out for lunch today?” She suggested meekly.  
“That sounds fantastic! Where should we go?”  
“How does that little diner across the road from _The Wild Side_ sound? We could meet there in half an hour?” She breathed in relief, feeling an excited smile creep onto her face.  
“That sounds _purrrfect_!” Nepeta giggled. “See you soon!”  
“Bye.” Jade breathed, waiting for the other to hand up. She let out a relieved sigh as soon as she heart the hang-up tone, and leapt to her feet to put on some clothes that were a little more presentable than some tracksuit pants and an oversized team T-shirt from her shooting club.

Quickly throwing on a knee-length tan skirt and a white shirt with cyan trim, she leapt out of her room, bounding down the stairs and running out the door.  
“Dad, open the gate for me?” She asked, seeing Mr. Egbert walk down the stairs at that moment. He nodded, and she was off, slamming the front door behind her. She grabbed her bicycle off the front of the porch and ran alongside it until she had enough momentum before throwing one leg over the other side and beginning to pedal as soon as she was seated. She zoomed down the lengthy drive-way, skidding to a halt once she reached the gates. They opened slowly, but she slipped through the barely-open gap with her bike and took off again, adrenaline pumping, and heart beating a million miles an hour.

Only a 20 minute ride later, she reached the diner she was meeting Nepeta at. She lifted up her wrist as she stopped, noting that she was only 5 minutes late. She chained her bike up out the front, glancing inside the diner, not seeing the messy mop of dirty-blonde hair inside, she concluded that Nepeta must be late too. At that moment, something heavy collided with her and had her stumbling a few steps backward to keep her balance as it clung to her.  
“Jade!” Squeaked her assailant. Jade leaned back to get a good look at her attacker, knowing full well who it was.  
“glad you could make it.” She quirked one eyebrow at the smaller girl, who merely stared excitedly down at her with those sparkling olive irises. She jumped down from her perch, clinging to the leaner girl’s torso and brushed her clothes down.  
“Of course I came.” She grinned. “Now let’s go inside. I’m starving!” Grabbing Jade by the hand, she lead the way into the diner.

They sat at a table for two along the side of the room, and a waitress promptly came to take their order. Jade gestured for Nepeta to go first, because she was still thinking. The shorter girl looked up at the waitress, and without batting an eyelid, recited off the longest order Jade had ever heard someone actually make.  
“Well, I think I’ll have a steak burger, fries with some fried vegetables. Maybe a serve of grilled fish and the spinach bake, with a grilled cheese toastie and a vanilla milkshake.” The waitress scribbled frantically to keep up, but eventually got everything. Jade stared wide eyed, and wondered how someone so small could possibly fit in so much food.  
“And you, ma’am?”  
”Uh… I think I’ll just have a slice of pumpkin pie with salad and a diet cola.” She decided.  
“Is that all?” She deadpanned. Nepeta and Jade both nodded. After taking a few more notes, the waitress took off swiftly to hand their order to the chef.  
“So, was there any particular reason you wanted to see me for lunch?” The blonde asked. Jade promptly shook her head.  
“Oh, no, not really. I just kinda wanted some good company, you know?” She swept her hair over her shoulder, feeling a little embarrassed.  
“Oh. That’s sweet that you think I’m good company!” The shorter girl giggled. “Well, tell me what’s been going on in your life, Jade. Anything interesting?” The brunette thought for a moment, considering all of the recent happenings and wondering if any of it was conversation worthy. She couldn’t think of anything.  
“Well, not in my life, really. I’m a pretty boring person. Having Bec around has spiced things up a little. He’s gorgeous! My brother brought his new boyfriend over for dinner the other night, and Bec adored him.” She laughed. Nepeta joined her. “He practically tackled the guy, kind of like he did when I first met him!” The blonde shook her head, still recovering from giggling.  
“I hope he wasn’t scared away after that.” She commented.  
“No. They loved each other. I think John even got a little jealous of their chemistry.” She joked. Nepeta erupted into little fits of giggling again, and the waitress returned with their lunch. Well, Jade’s and some of Nepeta’s.  
“I’ll be back with the rest shortly.” She put the dishes down and rushed back to the counter to bring the rest of Nepeta’s gargantuan order. She made one more trip, coming back with their drinks, before wishing them a nice meal and leaving.

Jade watched the blonde eyeing her meal like a hungry predator, and observed her wasting no time before cutting into her fish fillet. Smiling amusedly at the smaller girls big appetite. She dug her fork into her pumpkin pie, and popped the small fork-ful into her mouth. Nepeta did the same with a cut-off of fish. Once the blonde had managed to swallow what she’d eaten, she spoke up, without looking away from her plate.  
“I’m really glad you asked me to lunch today.” She murmured. Jade looked up, trying to gather clues to her emotions from the other girl’s face, but she kept it aimed at the table.  
“Hey, is something wrong?” Jade asked, mildly concerned. “You can talk to me.” She encouraged. Nepeta took a deep breath and sighed a quiet;  
“Okay.” She looked up at Jade, but averted her gaze to the painting on the wall before explaining in between bites.  
“A really good friend of mine is, well, he’s a great guy and I’ve known him as long as I can remember. He’s really proper and lovely, but a bit impressionable and lets himself get bossed around a lot. Recently he’s gotten involved with some bad stuff, and I don’t know what to do-“ The blonde gasped and glanced wide-eyed at Jade, a fearful expression adorning her features. “You won’t… You won’t tell anyone, will you?” She asked tentatively. The brunette shook her head violently.  
“No, of course not.” She assured. Nepeta sighed in relief.  
“Thank you.”  
“Now, what were you saying?”  
“Well, there’s this guy that my friend- Equius is his name- has been sort-of-friends with, and Equius really looked up to him for a long time. Every time we talked it was always ‘Strider this’ or ‘Strider that’ and they were really close. But this guy revealed to Equius that he runs con operations with his little brother. And he knew that Eq was really computer savvy and was good with electronics, and then they pressured him into building all their illegal equipment for them!” She paused for breath, and Jade simply sat in shocked silence.  
“… Did you say ‘Strider’?” She asked, almost afraid of the answer. Nepeta glanced up at her, looking slightly apprehensive.  
“…Yeah? Why?”  
“Could you excuse me for a moment? I really have to make a phone call.”  
“Of course.”  
“I’m really sorry, it’s super important. I’ll be back in a jiffy!”

She rushed to the front of the store, dialling John’s number as she went.  
“Please pick up.” She urged quietly as she waited for the ringing to stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, I promise things get better. Eventually.


	19. Puzzle pieces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.
> 
> //oh look, double update

Rolling up outside Gloria Jeans, John hopped out of his car, locking the door behind him. He was so excited to see Dave again. He knew it was a bit silly seeing as he’d hardly known the guy for just over a month, but he was already head over heels. He approached the store, holding a hand over his eyes and attempting to see past his own reflection into the store. Looking around, he couldn’t see Dave anywhere, so he figured he must be the first to get there. He decided to go inside and get a table while he waited.

He walked inside, the bell ringing to announce his entry, and he soon spotted an empty 2-seat table. It was relatively close to the front, and he went over to take a seat, only to see a strange, tall man with ridiculous pointy shades and an orange hat get up from a few tables to his right and sit opposite him.  
“I thought you’d never turn up.” He drawled in a husky baritone voice. John felt his stomach twist, and swallowed dryly. This man was tall, muscular and very, very intimidating.  
“Wh- who are you?” He asked, wringing his hands together under the table. The larger man leaned back casually in his seat.  
“Oh, how rude of me. I’m Dirk Strider. Dave’s brother.” He introduced. John felt his previous inhibitions melt away.  
“Ah, so you’re Dave’s ‘Bro’?” He identifies, letting a shy smile creep onto his face. “It’s good to meet you! I’m John.” He held out his hand for a handshake. The taller blonde took it without hesitation, initiating a firm shake.   
“You too, John.” The blonde smirks. John is about to ask him some generic question to get conversation started when his phone starts ringing in his pocket. He pulls it out and notes that it’s from Jade, so it’s probably something important.  
“Oh, geez, I’d better take this, is that okay?” He ducks his head apologetically. Dirk nods and shrugs his shoulders, and John rushes out the door, answering the call.   
“Jade? What’s up?” At first, he can hardly make anything out. It’s all static and incoherent rambling, and it takes quite a bit of patience before she is quiet enough for him to tell her to calm down and start again.  
“John! I was just at lunch with Nepeta and she told me some really bad stuff that you really need to know. It’s about Dave and his brother!” She announces, just as John hears the bells chime behind him.  
“What do you mean?” He takes a few steps away from the doorway, not wanting to be rude and have a phone conversation in other people’s way.  
“Nepeta says one of her friends is involved with them, and that they run some really shady business. I don’t think you should involve yourself with them any longer!” John furrowed his brow and ran his free hand through his hair in frustration.  
“Jade, I thought you had forgotten about all of your weird suspicions about Dave. Can’t you see that he’s not a murderer, and he’s not some druglord or part of the mafia or anything. He’s just Dave, and the sooner you realise that there’s nothing going on with him, the better.” He was just about to apologise to Jade for getting angry when he felt a firm arm around his chest and a cloth over his mouth. The sickly sweet mist that filled his mouth and nose and lungs muted his senses. He tried to fight back, but with each breath his lungs felt heavier, and his vision blurred and his thoughts scattered. He felt his phone fall from his hand, and the last thing he heard was the warped rendition of that thick, baritone voice.  
“You should have listened to her.”

He wakes up feeling sore and lethargic after an unknown amount of time. He can feel his hands bound tightly behind his back, and something hard is pressing against his back, between his spine and his arms. He guesses it’s a pole or beam. His legs are pinned beneath him, and despite his desperate attempts, he can’t get them to move. There’s a throbbing pain in the back of his neck, and he soon realises that it’s because he’s got his head bowed at a painful angle. He lifts his head up slowly, despite the protests of his neck and upper back, and is greeted by a face full of a flashing red light and gleaming camera lens. If he squints, he can make out a figure behind it, but he doesn’t need to see to know who it is.  
“Say hello to daddy, kid.” That raspy baritone voice resounds in the small dark room. But all John can think of is a certain blonde, and feelings of betrayal and hurt flood through him, leaving him unaware of anything beyond their haze.  
“Dave…” He murmurs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sorry.


	20. Blackmail and leverage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I mention that you're all amazing?  
>  ~~yay, 20 chapters~~

The Egbert household was tense that evening. John never came home from his meeting with Dave, and all Jade had to go on was a voice over the phone. She was currently pacing back and forth in her living room while her father talked to the police on the phone. Nepeta had insisted on coming back with her to make sure she was okay after their lunch (it was really sweet of her, and Jade would be over the moon if she weren’t so worried), and she was now sitting on the sofa, watching Jade pace with a concerned expression.  
“Jade… Please sit down. Worrying and fussing won’t do anything to help.” She tried, standing up and placing a hand on Jade’s shoulder, staring up at her with pleading olive orbs. The dark-haired girl sighed, taking a seat on the couch beside the other girl.  
“I’m sorry, Nepeta. I’m just so worried about him.” She shrugged. The blonde wrapped a reassuring arm around Jade’s shoulders, pulling her into a one-armed embrace.  
“I know you are. But there’s nothing we can do but wait, okay?” She rubbed reassuring circles on the brunettes shoulders as she spoke, feeling the tense muscles relax under her touch.

In the next room, they could hear Mr. Egbert thanking someone over the phone and bidding them goodbye, before the click of the phone being put back on the hook. His hard-soled formal shoes thudded on the hardwood as he walked into the living room to join his daughter and her guest. They both looked up at him as he approached, eyes shining with hope and concern.  
“I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do to help. The police have been informed of our situation, and they’re doing everything they can.” He sighed, pulling off his hat and running a hand through his slightly thinning hair.  
“… I’m going to go bake something. Are you fond of cake, Miss Leijon?” He asked, polite as always.  
“Oh, yes.” She nodded. Mr Egbert informed them it would be ready in half an hour, before taking his leave. Heaving a sigh, Jade leaned her head on the shorter girl’s shoulder.  
“I wish I weren’t so helpless.” At that moment, the intercom in the next room beeped loudly, informing them that the mailman was at the gate.  
“Jade, would you mind getting the mail? I know you have company, but I have my hands full.” Came the muffled request.  
“Yes, dad.” She called. “Come on, Nepeta. We can go for a walk together.” She stood up, holding out her hand to the blonde girl, who smiled broadly and accepted it, walking hand-in-hand with the brunette to the gate. 

It was hardly a 3 minute walk to the front gates (one of the cons of inheriting a large estate), and by the time they reached it, the postman was gone, leaving a small package by the gate. Jade knelt down in front of it, reaching through the large cast-iron bars and pulling it through.

She turned it over in her hands, and the only things printed on it- literally _printed on it_ were her father’s name and their address and postal code. Jade found it extremely suspicious, and without hesitation, she grabbed Nepeta’s hand again, taking off at a run.  
“Come on!” She called, practically dragging the smaller girl behind her. 

They burst through the front door together, huffing and puffing as they barged into the kitchen.  
“Dad, there’s a parcel, and I think it might be something important!” Jade exclaimed. Mr. Egbert put down the bowl of cake batter and mixing spoon down promptly and rushed over to the two girls. He took the package from Jade, ripping it open immediately. Reaching inside, he pulls out two discs in plastic packaging.  
“Come on. Let’s go see what’s on these.” He leads Jade and Nepeta through the hall behind the kitchen into the spare room where the main computer is situated, shaking the mouse to wake it up from standby mode immediately.

Once the screen lit up, he opened the tray and placed the first disc inside, pushing it shut. Clicking the necessary buttons for the contents to play, soon enough, an audio file opened up.  
“Hello.” The recorded message greeted. “I think you can guess who this is. But let’s not waste our time with guessing games, and instead let me fill you in on the rules of the other game we’re about to play. For starters, if any of the media or authorities get any form of copy of these two discs- not only will I know- but I can assure you that your little boy will be worse off for it. Not to mention, if by some miracle they get a hold of me or my colleagues, I have the paperwork right here stating that you hired me to put the hit on your son. And I highly doubt you want that to get out, do you?” There was a pause in the message, and all Jade, Nepeta and Mr. Egbert could do was wait for it to continue. They weren’t kept waiting long.  
“Now, let me get down to the business part of the message. I want $100,000 cash for you son’s safe release. You have 3 days to think my offer over, but you should know that unwillingness to comply _will_ result in harm coming to your son. You can leave it in the middle of the park on Wilson Street- under the fountain on the path-side- at midnight 3 days from now. I do hope you make the right choice, Mr. Egbert.”

The message ended, and it took all of Mr. Egbert’s inner strength to keep himself from weeping. He had to be strong, if not for himself, but for Jade, and also for John. With shaking hands, he picked up the other disc, replacing the one they had just watched with it, and setting it to play. This time, the video player started up and a pixelated, dark video file began to play. The camera took a moment to focus, but once it did, a hunched over, ruffled figure came into view. They slowly raised their head, showing skewed glasses and familiar cerulean irises. Jade and her father gasped in shock, and Nepeta merely gripped Jade’s forearm tightly.  
“Say hello to daddy, kid.” Comes the voice from behind the camera. John isn’t looking into the camera, but starting blankly at the ground.  
“Dave…” He whispers, looking utterly defeated. It broke his father’s heart to see his son like this.  
“No use calling that name. The only one who can save you now is your papa, so you might want to do your thing and pull a few heartstrings, huh?” The voice was strong and echoed around the room, more than compensating for John’s feeble whispers, which mostly consisted of ‘Dave’ and a few incoherent mumbles.  
“We have to get him back, dad.” Jade breathed, eyes never leaving the screen.  
“I know.”


	21. Dim light at the end of the tunnel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this story is slowly but surely winding to a close!! (Only a few more chapters to go!)  
> I never thought it would get this far, and I'm so glad it has, because it's been so much fun to write! I've already started on my next fic (I know, I should concentrate on finishing this one, right?) but I'm super excited to get onto that full-time once I'm done here, and I just hope that it's half as fun as Con Art has been! :D

Dirk strider walked into his and his brother’s apartment after mailing the package to the Egbert family. He took off his thick black gloves as he shut the door, throwing them onto the table just inside the doorway.  
“Bro, what the **fuck**?” A voice exploded just ahead of him. His younger brother barged into the room, shoulders back, muscles tense, shades off and eyes burning with rage.  
“What’d I do?” He raised his arms in confusion. “What the hell’s up with you today, Dave?” He shouted in response.  
“I told you the deal was off! I thought we were done with the Egberts!”  
“Well, clearly _you_ weren’t done with them. And you only ever said that _you_ were done. I never promised anything. In face, _you_ turned your phone off, so we couldn’t even discuss it! You have no right to be getting pissed at me.” Dirk raged, voice raising in volume considerably. Dave threw up his hands, too angry for words and stormed out of the room, slamming his bedroom door behind him.   
“ **FUCK!** ” Dirk yelled, pulling at his hair. “Fine, then, Dave. Fuck off and have your tantrum and I’ll just go. Text me when you’ve stopped your bitching.” He called, walking right back out the door.

As soon as he heard Bro leave, Dave tentatively opened his bedroom door, poking his head out and peering down the hall. When all he saw was an empty house, he sighed and opened the door the rest of the way and heading for the kitchen. He picked out as much food as he could find as well as a large glass of water, and lugged it all with him to the basement door. Shifting as much as he could into his left arm, he freed his right hand so he could undo the latch and push the dor open with his hip. Being sure to close the door behind him, he shouldered the light switch until the old, dulled light flickered to life, barely illuminating the dark room. Bounding down the stairs, he came to kneel beside the weary-looking figure in the centre of the room, who was squinting against the gentle light.  
“Are you there?” He asked, voice quivering with apprehension. Dave reached out slowly, almost unsurely, and placed a hand on John’s shoulder. He instantly regretted it when he felt the other flinch away from his touch.  
“John… I’m here now. I brought you- I brought you food.” He held out his offering, showing the brunette everything he had to offer. “I know Bro hasn’t been feeding you a whole lot… I’m so sorry I haven’t come down sooner. I had to wait for him to leave the house, I’m sorry for everything. I tried to tell him I didn’t want to do it anymore, I didn’t want to hurt you, but he wouldn’t listen. I wish I could have stopped him, but I can’t. I just-”  
“Dave.” John cut in, unable to look into those tortured scarlet eyes any longer. No matter how betrayed he felt, he couldn’t deny that he still felt for Dave, and he couldn’t bear to see him so distraught. “You knew this was happening. You were going to con my family out of our money. Your brother still is. Is that right?” The blonde nodded, wishing he were wearing his shades. Maybe they might make the fact that he was starting to cry less obvious.  
“Why?”  
“At first it was necessity. Bro and I were broke poor, and needed money, but, then I met you and as soon as I saw you, it was like… In the end, breaking the law was the first step to meeting the one I love. I didn’t think, and when Bro kept pressing me to rip you guys off, I couldn’t do it.” His voice broke, and he started crying harder, cursing his blatant show of weakness.   
“I know I’ve done wrong by you, but Egbert- John- I want to make things right because I love you.” He reached out and cupped John’s face, leaning in to slowly kiss the brunette. He didn’t flinch away or try to escape this time, which- despite the circumstances- left Dave ecstatic. He pulled back slowly, holding up the glass of water.  
“I’m guessing you want something to eat or drink? I don’t have the keys to your cuffs, but Bro’s gonna be out for a good while, so looks like I’m feeding you by hand.” He laughed dryly. John joined him briefly, feeling less fatigued and defeated than he had in a long time. Somehow, he couldn’t bring himself to blame Dave, even though he knew he should, and that he had every right to. Was something wrong with him?

They sat there, in the dimly lit room for a good while, Dave feeding John what little food he could eat. He’d lost a considerable amount of his appetite, despite only being in the basement for the past 24 hours or so, simply because he was so worried and scared out of his mind. However, Dave didn’t stop offering him food until he was satisfied that John had eaten and drank enough.  
“I’ve got to go now. I’m gonna go make everything okay. People will be here to get you really soon, I promise. Everything’s gonna be fine.” He kissed John’s forehead, standing up and leaving the room. He made sure to leave the light on so the brunette wasn’t left in a completely dark room. Standing in the doorway, Dave looked back at the other, still cuffed to a pole.  
“I love you.” He called back quietly as he shut the door, only hearing a quiet “I love you too” as he closed it. It was time for him to fix everything.


	22. Anti-hero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was actually kind of hard for me to write. But I finally got it done!  
> I will apologise, however, because it's kind of slow at parts with some lengthy dialogue. But I promise it's all plot relevant!

Dave sat on the couch, staring at the front door for the next hour, waiting for his brother to get home. By the time the door finally opened, Dave had been off in his own world, and jumped at the sound of the latch clicking. He managed to compose himself before Dirk was actually in the door, but he said nothing. Once Dirk had turned around to face him, he gestured to the seat opposite him.  
“Bro, we have to talk.” Voice demanding, face unwavering. He had no choice but to get his brother to let John go, no matter the consequences. He promised he would. The taller blonde sat down, crossed his ankles and laced his fingers together. Impassive face undeniably focused on his younger brother.  
“I’m listening.”

Dave sat back in his chair, crossing his arms. He thought for a moment about what to say.  
“Bro. I think it’s time we turned in.” He settled. “Even if you don’t think so, I can’t do this anymore and I’m turning myself in. That mean’s we’re both going down. We don’t have to take Sol or Eq down with us, after all, we did kind of blackmail them into helping us, and they haven’t actually done anything wrong.” The taller blonde took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes with the other hand. When he looked back up, he wasn’t wearing his glasses still, and confusion and mild frustration swirled in his exposed amber irises.  
“Little Bro, have you gone batshit crazy? What the hell were you thinking with this dumb ass plan?”  
“well, the other alternative is that you let John go, and we hope that we can convince him not to tell anyone, but I wouldn’t blame him- Or his dad or Jade- If they wanted to exploit our asses.” He looked on calmly, waiting for the response. Dirk sighed, shoulders sagging. He suddenly looked old and tired.  
“Look, Dave. You don’t have to worry. The only thing you’ve got under your belt is being an accomplice to fraud. That’s 10-12 months imprisonment and only $4,000 bail on good behaviour. I’ve done things you couldn’t even imagine, and all of it was to support you as a kid.” He glanced up from the coffee table between them, looking Dave straight in the eyes, even with the younger Strider’s dark glasses in-between. “I wish it didn’t come to this, but if you even consider going to the authorities, I’ll have to hand John over to some of my less merciful colleagues, and we both know you don’t want that.” He looked regretful that it had come to threats, but he was facing a whole lot more than 12 months behind bars.

The shorter blonde stared at his feet for a few minutes. He knew what had to be done, but he knew that if it wasn’t done right, there would be hell to pay, and it wouldn’t be him paying it.  
“I need to go for a walk. I really need to clear my head. Don’t think this is over, but we can talk more when I don’t feel like complete shit.” He breathed, voice cracking. He hoped against hope that his brother hadn’t noticed, but there was no way that he hadn’t.  
“I’ll be back when I get back.” He called, walking right out the door.

As soon as he was in the lobby of the apartment block, he pulled his phone out of his pocket, dialling a number he was familiar with for the wrong reasons. The pickup was almost instant.  
“Thup?”  
“Hey, Sol. Let’s cut the small talk, I need a really huge ass favour, can you do that for me?”  
“Thure, I gueth? Dependth on what it ith, I thuppothe.”  
”Look, dude. You know all those papers you forged on the Egbert deal? I really need you to back me up and come out in public either saying that you made them, or explaining why they’re fake because you’re an expert or whatever, I don’t know how this stuff works.”  
“Thith thoundth pretty theriouth. Wanna tell me what’th going on?”  
“Bro and I will be going to court soon, and unless I can get you to prove that those documents aren’t real, someone I care about a lot is going to be in a world of hell. Can you get that?” There was silence for a few moments.  
“Yeah, I can. Of courthe I’ll tethtify for you, Thtrider.” Dave shoved his free hand into his pocket and kept walking, drawing in a shaky breath.  
“Thanks dude. I seriously appreciate it.” He muttered, trying his best to keep his voice from cracking, lest he start crying again. He’d been feeling immensely stressed lately, and as a result, he was experiencing waves of emotion so intense they almost scared him.  
“I guess I’ll see you in court. I’ll keep you updated if I can.”  
“Okay, bye.”  
“Seeya.”

Clicking the ‘end call’ button, Dave wasted no time punching in the next number. He stopped and sat on a park bench, and waited for the pickup, which took no time at all.  
“Hello, 911, what’s your emergency?”  
“Hi, uh, I’m calling to report a hostage situation and some other illegal activity, could you please put me through to the police?”  
“I’m going to need some more details first, sir. It’s procedure.”  
“Right, well, I live in apartment 51a Callum Street, me and my brother have been running illegal fraud operations for the past few years, and now he’s taken someone hostage and demanded money from their family for a release. I’m calling to turn myself and my brother in, and to ask for someone to save the poor guy locked in my basement.”  
“Okay, sir, I’m going to relay this information to the police, but I’m going to ask you to stay on the line with me and give me more information about yourself and your brother. Can you do that for me?”  
“Yeah, sure.”

A good 10 minutes were spent talking to the call-taker while she relayed the information on to the police before they let Dave talk to the Police directly, and even then he didn’t get the results he was after.  
“What do you mean it’ll take a few days? I’ve given you all the information you need! Someone’s life is in actual danger here, and immediate action has to be taken!” He shouted into the receiver, earning him a few odd stares from passers-by.  
“You know what, yes, I’m still turning me and Bro in, you’ve got all our info and our address and everything you need, plus my confession, but forget about the kidnapping. I’ll handle that myself.” He snarled, shutting off the connection, and beginning his march back home.


	23. Time to face the music

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A good bit of this chapter felt a little forced, but I hope it's still readable! I'm just kind of flailing around and trying to make ends meet as this story draws to a close, and I hope it retains it's appeal, even if I'm not as happy with these last chapters as I am with the rest of it. D':

Only a short, determinedly fast-paced walk home, Dave stood out the front of his apartment block. After thinking for a moment how he was going to go about rescuing John, he jogged next door, to the small old-style house with the picket fence. Leaping nimbly over the low fence, he hurried up to the front door, knocking firmly. He waited, shifting his weight from foot to foot impatiently, until a kindly, older man opened the door.  
“Hello sir, I was wondering if you have any heavy-duty garden clippers or anything? I live in the apartment next door, and my indoor-pear-tree is getting too big and really needs a trim, and I would truly appreciate it if I could borrow something.” Dave explained, trying not to sound frantic or on-edge.  
“Sure I do, son. Give me a moment to get them out of my garage.” He nodded, hobbling off. Dave heaved a sigh of relief and waited for the man’s return.

It took hardly any time at all for the man to return with a pair of large hedge trimmers that looked much too large for his small, knotted hands.  
“There you go, boy. If you could have them back by tomorrow, I’d be grateful. I have some gardening to do myself, actually.” He laughed. Dave tried his best to join in, thanking the man graciously in between fits of forced laughter.  
“Thank you so much, sir. I don’t know if I’ll be able to bring them back myself, but I will make sure they get back here, you have my word.” He bowed his head briefly, making his way back to the gate, making sure to open it and pass through properly this time.

He rounded the building, looking for the little window that lead down to the basement. He glanced around furtively, making sure nobody was watching before he leaned down and started trying to force it open. The basement didn’t officially belong to them, but Bro had paid a little extra in secret to the landlord to use it as ‘storage’ seeing as their ground-floor apartment actually had a door that lead down there, though it was usually locked.

Grunting in frustrated effort, Dave finally managed to get the rectangular glass panel to open inward, without breaking or making too much noise. He had to get John out before the police arrived, because they had no warrants to search through the basement (it didn’t belong to the Striders), John would no doubt stay down there for a few more days until they got one. There was no way Dave would let John sit in a basement, waiting for some paperwork to some through.

Slipping his feet through the hole, Dave began his descent into the basement; careful not to knock anything that might make noise and alert his brother.  
“W- what’s going on back there? Who is it?” John called, voice shaking and feeble.  
“John, it’s me.” Dave called, not needing to clarify a whole lot.  
“Dave…”  
”Yeah, now keep it down, I’m busting you out.” Once his feet touched the firm concrete floor, he rushed to a kneel behind John’s cuffed hands, and began attempting to cut them apart with the clippers.  
“Hey John, can you do me a favour when you’re out of here?” He asked as he worked.  
“Yeah? I guess?”  
“I borrowed these clippers from the old man in the little house next door. I’m probably gonna be too busy sitting in a cold cell to give them back. Could you take them back for me?” He asked. John sat in silence for a moment, contemplating the strange request.  
“Yeah… I guess I could.” The brunette agreed, if a little sceptically.  
“Thanks.” Finally, the chain between the cuffs gave way with a soft, resounding ‘clank’.  
“There. All free. Well, mostly, but I think you can get someone to get the rest of the cuffs off.” Not a moment later, there was a commotion and shouting from upstairs in the main apartment, and Dave heard thudding, and his Brother’s anguished yelling.  
“Well, looks like it’s time for me to go. It was great knowing you, John. I hope you don’t hate me too much after all this.” He leaned over and gave the brunette a soft kiss on the cheek, before getting up and running up the stairs, inserting the key into the lock and opening the door. He walked out slowly, hands on his head.  
“Took your time.” He commented, making the few police officers turn and stare at him.  
“I never thought I’d see the day the elusive Striders came into our custody. Let alone by the betrayal of one of their own.” One of the officers commented, shaking his head in disbelief. Another came up to Dave, pulled his arms behind him and cuffed them in place, before patting him down to check for weapons.  
“John, come on out!” He called. “They can’t do nothing if you’re sitting in the basement.” Slowly and unsurely, the brunette walked out, eyes wide and terrified. The cuffs dangled from his wrists and he clutched the clippers tightly to his chest.  
“You’re fucking welcome.” Dave threw to the officer behind him.

After an explanation about John, and an argument about the clippers (‘I need to give them to the man next door!’), John, Dave and Dirk all found themselves distributed between the two police cars while one of the officers returned the hedge trimmers. John insisted that he and Dave be in the same car on the way home, so Dirk found himself alone in the other. The last officer came and hopped into the passenger seat of Dirk’s car, and then they were off. Dave felt the silence was tense and awkward, and he had no clue what he could say to resolve the chasm between them. He opened his mouth to speak, but John beat him to it.  
“Don’t think this means I’m not angry and don’t feel completely betrayed, Dave.” He stated dryly, not taking his eyes off of the back of the seat in front of him. “All this means is that no matter how I try, I can’t hate you, and I still have feelings for you.” He grabbed Dave by the shirt and pulled him forward, kissing him and effectively confusing the police officers in the front seats of the car. Pulling away abruptly, he added;  
“It does also mean that you’ve got a hell of a lot of making up to do. And not just to me.” The blonde merely stared in shock, leaning forward so his shades fall forward enough to show his eyes, fully exposing all of his conflicting emotions.  
“I’ll do whatever it takes.” Is all he manages to say before the car pulls to a stop and the officer announces their arrival. The passenger side officer opens the door and lets John out, while Dave is practically dragged out by the handcuffs.

As they walk up the front steps, the officer walking beside John fills him in on why they need him here, and how he can testify to put the Strider’s behind bars, While the one guiding Dave merely walks on in silence. Dirk is being lead behind the other two, and Dave can feel his brother staring at him. He hopes he’s done the right thing.

Once inside, John and the Strider brothers are lead in separate directions. The brunette doesn’t look back once they part, but Dave watches him until he turns the corner, and is out of sight.


	24. Second chances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so, so sorry this chapter took so long. I've been feeling kind of shit for the past while, and it's been so difficult to find the motivation to write, even with all of the lovely comments of encouragement I received.
> 
> But I really appreciate the comments, and it was all the encouragement that got this done at all, so thank you so much if you left comments or even kudos! I'll try my best to not be late with the next chapter. It shouldn't be hard to get excited about it, despite everything, if only because it will probably be the second last chapter! I'll get on it now, thanks for sticking with me so far. C:

The next time Dave saw John’s face in person and not in the news was in court. It was a relatively low level affair, the shock of the whole event wore off after a few days of publicity. But Dave knew no matter how long it was, he would never forget what he and his brother had done, and seeing the resolve on John’s face as he testified against them only reinforced that.

Sollux came forth and owned up to forging those papers, and Dave was almost certain that what he felt inside him at that moment was pride. He was proud of his introvert nerdy friend for turning up and being honest. He was taken into custody as well immediately after he left the stand, but the blonde was sure to give him a reassuring nod of approval as he went past.

Not too long after, the verdict was read. Both were found guilty of fraud, however Bro’s rap sheet was much longer than Dave’s. The judge announced their sentence; 3-4 years for the younger Strider, and 10-15 for the older. They accepted them with bowed heads, and court was adjourned, letting the police escorts come to take the blonde brothers away.

Sparing one last glance at John as he left, he saw the brunette staring at him with wide eyes and unreadable emotions. A pang of pain stabbed through his chest, and he mouthed the words ‘I love you’ clearly toward the bespectacled object of his affections, only to see him tear up and walk away. Dave had never felt so terrible in his entire life. At least he was going somewhere that would shelter him from the outside world. He wouldn’t be able to face humanity if were he let free, anyway.

He left in a police car with the same officer that arrested him, and waited silently for them to arrive, thinking only of how badly he’d screwed up. He had a long 4 years ahead of him.

He had only spent the night in his cell. Despite it being one of the most uncomfortable places ever in which to sleep, he’d managed to sleep like a baby, completely worn out by all of the various procedures he’d had to endure the previous day. He was completely surprised, however, when he was awakened by a guard at his door, announcing that he had a visitor. Rushing to get out of bed, he waited at the barred door for the guard to come in, shackle him and lead him to the visiting room. 

They turned the corner into the large open room, and amongst the various groups of people sitting at a few of the tables that littered the room, one person caught his eye immediately. He urged the guard to walk faster as they approached the bespectacled brunette, staring at him with azure eyes bright with barely concealed excitement.

Once at the table, the guard gestured for Dave to sit down across from John, an he hastily obliged.  
“Dave.” The brunette greeted.  
“John.”  
“How’ve you been?”  
“Not too bad considering.”  
“That’s… Good, I guess.” John rubbed the back of his neck, looking away from the blonde. Dave reached out and took his other hand while he was occupied, holding it in both of his own.  
“Look John. I meant what I said in that basement. I will do anything it takes to make things right between us.” He vowed. John slowly brought his cerulean gaze up to meet Dave’s red. (His glasses had been confiscated.)  
“I know, Dave.” John replied, squeezing the blonde’s hands. “And I think I realised that I can’t hate you or blame you for what happened no matter how I try. And I think it might be because I care about you too much, and part of me didn’t want to blame you because, I-” He sighed heavily, looking down at our joined hands for a moment before pulling his gaze back up to meet Dave’s.  
“I think I don’t want to blame you because I love you too much, and I don’t want this to get in between us.” The brunette’s face grew redder with each word, and after he stopped speaking he glanced up at the guard self-consciously, only to notice that he wasn’t looking at them with disgust, but with what was almost admiration.  
“Would you mind… Giving us a moment? I’ll make sure he doesn’t run away, I promise.” John asked, feeling thoroughly embarrassed. The guard told them that it was his job to supervise, but that he would be able to go sit at the table behind them so he couldn’t hear, if they’d like. Agreeing to those terms, John continued speaking as the guard walked away.  
“Dave, would you be okay with… Even with all this stuff, still being my… You know- my…” Glancing around nervously, John stuttered and stammered, voice going quieter until Dave could hardly hear him anymore. “I guess what I’m trying to say is, would you still be my… my boyfriend?” He finally managed, face glowing even redder than before.

Dave was completely blown away. He had barely managed to get two words out since John started talking, because he’d been sitting there, dumbfounded that the brunette was even here, let alone that he didn’t blame him for anything and still wanted to be his _boyfriend_.”  
“John, of god-damned course I’ll still be your boyfriend.” He confirmed, voice firm and proud, before pulling John forward and kissing him over the tabletop. He felt the elated butterflies messing up his insides as soon as their lips touched. He didn’t think he’d ever see John without receiving heated glares or being ignored, let alone to be sought out and taken back. It was almost too much for him. Pulling away, Dave sat back down in his seat, leaving a very embarrassed John glancing around the room nervously as he sat back down. Everyone was too busy with their own company to notice their display of affection, except the guard who was smiling fondly at them.  
“Look, Dave, I should get going. I didn’t tell my dad where I went, and ever since I… Went missing… He’s been extra protective.” John explained, standing up. “But I’ll be back tomorrow.” He leaned across the table and placed a kiss to Dave’s forehead before walking away, leaving the blonde staring after him, love, admiration and desire burning in him as he watched the love of his life leave.  
“That’s some partner you got yourself.” The guard commented, leading Dave out of the room and back to his cell.  
“I know.”


	25. A break in tradition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm getting back into the swing of things, and just in time! I'll be off holidays in 2 days, and with my newfound motivation, I fully intend on finishing this story before then! There will only be one or two chapters after this one, but I have to ask, if I were to write a sequel to this story that was Bro/Dad, would you guys be up for it? If yes, should it be a oneshot, or should it be a whole second story? Please send your input, it would be a great help to me if you could!
> 
> Also, just a warning, if I do write this sequel, the updates may be slower than those for Con Art have been, simply because I'll be back at school, and I have a feeling that year 11 is going to kick my butt.
> 
> Anyway, enough of my rambling, I'll leave you to read this chapter! :D

John continued to visit Dave every day at the same time for a week. Sometimes if they held hands or kissed during visits, they would get derogatory shout-outs from people at other tables, or even from the guard, if it was a different one from the first time. A few times after visits, if Dave left his cell, he would get the same, even after John had left, but he just ignored them or flipped the bird, or occasionally he granted them a snarky response, but he never let it upset him, because John didn’t hate him, and that was all he needed in his life to be happy. Even if some of the others in the prison gave him a hard time, he knew he could beat them senseless without breaking a sweat, especially if it meant defending John’s honour.

Nothing he went through during each day mattered when John visited the next morning, he lived for it, and it gave him hope of a life outside of prison. John was literally all he thought about.

On the fourth day, John told Dave that his dad had found out about his visits, and was none too happy about it. They agreed that they could forego tomorrows visit, just to give Mr. Egbert some time to think about the situation and cool down. In the meantime, John was going to see a movie with his sister. Dave was mildly annoyed that he would go a day without his visit, but he knew he could live with that, if it meant that the brunette could continue the visits after that. They bid their goodbyes and shared a brief kiss before John left.

Luckily for Dave, he didn’t have to deal with barbed comments from a homophobic guard, as he had the same rough looking, but rather smooth bald man from the first time. When he’d asked, the man hadn’t given him his actual name, only a nickname. ‘call me Droog.’ He’d said.  
“So what’s the deal with you and your dorky lookin’ boyfriend? Seems like there’s a story there.” Droog asked on the way back to Dave’s cell. The blonde merely shrugged.  
“I’m in here because I wanted to be with him so bad that I sold me and my brother out. I thought he’d hate me because I’d kept so much from him, and my brother kidnapped him in the end, but he doesn’t. I wouldn’t blame him.”  
“Sounds like he really gives a damn, kid. Hold on to that one.” He advised, clapping a hand on Dave’s shoulder. “An’ if anyone gives ya a hard time about it, you let me know. I’ll take care of ‘em for ya.” He offered, locking the cell after Dave.  
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it.” The blonde nodded his gratitude, and Droog walked away with a slight wave and nod of his head.  
“Any time.”

Dave was just as surprised as the first day when the guard on duty came to inform him that he had a visitor. John had said he wouldn’t visit today, hadn’t he? So why would someone be here to see him? The only other people that might ever visit him in prison were somewhere in the facility also.

He was lead to a table close to the entrance of the visiting room, and was even more surprised to see none other than a very professional looking Mr. Egbert sitting there. He took a seat opposite the other man, who merely straightened his fedora and interlocked his fingers atop the table, looking expectantly at Dave.  
“Mr. Egbert… I’ve gotta say, I’m a little surprised to see you. I thought you of all people would never want to see me after all the stuff that’s gone down.” He admitted freely. The dark haired older man nodded in acknowledgement, unclasping his hands to scratch his chin briefly.  
“I was at the court, I know the whole story. And I think I realised that, I suppose, I don’t have as much to blame you for as I thought I did.” The blonde let relief flood through him, and a great weight was lifted from his shoulders.  
“However.” The older gentleman interrupted his thoughts, looking Dave directly in the eye, expression hard and wary. “What you _did_ do is not immediately forgiven. At least not by me.”  
“I don’t blame you at all.” The blonde looked down at the worn and graffiti-covered tabletop, feeling shame overtake all of his previous joy. He didn’t know why John had forgiven him, and he wouldn’t blame anyone in that family if they all hated him for what he and his brother had done. 

Mr. Egbert sighed heavily, reaching out and touching the side of Dave’s face. He angled the boy’s face up so they could lock gazes again, but instead of the hard dislike that the younger had seen there before, he was greeted with mild understanding and the slightest sympathy and, what could potentially be, forgiveness.  
“Dave. I need you to tell me, and be honest,” He started, hesitating as he tried to gauge the emotion in those exposed scarlet eyes. “Do you really love my son? Would you do anything at all to be with him, like you said in court?” Dave was taken aback, and extremely confused. He didn’t think that Mr. Egbert would care anything for what he said, and the fact that he trusted the blonde enough to ask him, and expect an honest answer.   
“Of course I do.” He answered, without missing a beat. He knew that the same honesty he felt with everything he had was displayed on his face, because the older gentleman nodded in agreement.  
“I believe you.” He concluded. “I’ll be glad to have you date my son, when you get out of here.” He reached out and put a hand on the blonde’s shoulder, and he knew it was meant as permission, and even a compliment, in a way, but all it did was make Dave remember his sentence.  
“That means a lot, Mr. Egbert, but you might want to encourage John to find someone else who can spend more time with him than an hour every day in a prison visiting room.” He admitted, gaze falling to the table again, his face not hiding an ounce of the shame and grief he felt.  
“I think you might find that 4 years will go quicker than you think.” The older man smiled apologetically, patting Dave on the shoulder and standing up. Dave stood up too, and the guard made his way over, ready to lead the blonde back to his cell once his visitor left.  
“I think you really are a good-hearted young man, Dave. You made some mistakes, but I don’t think you are bad. My son is lucky to have you, despite everything.” Mr. Egbert said as he shook Dave’s hand, before he left.

Once back in his cell, Dave lay down on his bed, facing the ceiling, and thinking about everything Mr. Egbert had said. Especially how he wanted he and John to be together after he got out of prison. He really hoped the older man was right, and that his 4 years wouldn’t seem that long. But as long as John would wait for him, he would endure anything the world threw his way. These walls could only hold him for so long, and as soon as he was able to escape, he would be straight back with John, and that was a promise. He didn’t know who he was promising, but he would not let them down.


	26. Freedom at last

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did it. I lost this chapter once because my brother tripped over my laptop chord, but I managed to rewrite it mostly the same as it was, although I'm not too pleased about the start of it, but it's the best I could do.
> 
> Next chapter will be the last one until I begin the Bro/Dad sequel, which is definitely becoming a thing, due to popular demand. :D

John and his dad stood in the office of the warden of the local prison. Mr. Egbert and the grey-haired warden were talking business while John stood to the side, shifting from foot to foot, impatiently waiting for them to be done. Dad was folding his arms impatiently, obviously as displeased with all the back-and-forth as John was. Eventually he just pulled out his chequebook and asked the warden how much. The man smoothed back his grey hair and informed them he wouldn’t settle for a low price. After a little hesitation, John heard his dad bring up their family friend, and Jade’s grandfather, Mr. Harley, who was quite an influential figure that sponsors many government organisations, including the prison. The warden agreed hastily to whatever price Mr. Egbert was satisfied with, and they shook hands, having agreed on a deal. John watched his father lean on the desk to write out a cheque for an amount of money he deemed sufficient to keep the warden quiet, while the grey-haired man pulled out a radio and began organising his side of the bargain.

Opening his eyes slowly, Dave sat up in his rather uncomfortable bed. He had been dozing, merely passing the time when a rattle at his cell door had caught his attention. Standing up groggily, he noticed Droog unlocking the door and opening it, beckoning him out.  
“Come on, Strider. You’re getting’ out of here.” Hesitantly, he approached the doorway, looking searchingly at the guard.  
“What’s going on?” He queried, more confused than ever when the bald man merely smiled and gestured for him to step out, without cuffing him first like usual.  
“Someone’s organised for your release, as well as your brothers.” He informed. The blonde stared in shock for a moment before his features split into an uncharacteristically bright smile, and he pulled the taller man into an excited hug.  
“Are you kidding?” He exclaimed, absolutely elated. The bald guard finally managed to pry the excited blonde off of him, and patted him on the shoulder.  
“Looks like your 4 years did come early after all.” Was all he said, before leading Dave away to collect his brother from the next sect across.

On the short walk from Sect. 3 to Sect. 4, Dave managed to calm himself down a bit before reaching his brother’s cell. He hadn’t spoken to the older Strider since their incarceration, and the fear of the impending reunion had definitely dimmed his elation a little.

They arrived outside the cell, which appeared empty at first, but Dave’s heart sank as he noticed to defeated-looking figure sitting hunched over in the corner of the room, facing the wall.  
“Hey, Strider. Snap out of it, you gotta come with us.” The older blonde visibly heaved a sigh.  
“Come on, man. I ain’t done nothing’ wrong this time. What’s goin’ on?” He called, not turning around.  
“Dirk, someone’s arranged for you guys to get out a’ here, no strings attached.” He announced, making the older Strider sit up.  
“Us guys? You mean-” He turned away, catching Dave’s gaze straight away. Once he noticed his younger brother standing at the door, he got straight up and walked to the front of his cell. Droog stepped away to unlock the door while Dirk stood before his brother, completely unsure of what to say.

The door swung open, and Dirk didn’t hesitate to step outside. The bald guard gestured for them to follow him along the hall, and the two brothers fell into step beside each other, following the tall man to their freedom.  
“Looks like we’re getting out of here.” Dave stated, attempting to break the silence.  
“I don’t blame you if you hate me, you know, Dave.” Dirk murmured, unable to bring himself to look away from the wall.  
“You did the right thing coming clean, and while I was pissed about it to begin with, I’ve been thinking, and I realised that the things I’ve done weren’t fair to you, and I’m sorry.” He rattled off the apology like he’d been rehearsing it for the past week. Maybe he had, who knows. The younger Strider was lost in his brother’s words, and concentrated on taking ach step, because he knew that if he thought too hard about Dirk’s confession, he might start crying. God forbid, should he cry in front of his brother.  
“I’m sorry too, Bro.” He managed to add, once he’d swallowed the lump in his throat. Bro reached out and clapped a hand on Dave’s shoulder reassuringly, and in that moment, he knew they were even, and that all had been forgiven. And he was more glad for that than he was to be free.

Once they reached the front office, They were greeted by a patiently-waiting Mr. Egbert, who was standing beside the warden just in front of the doorway that lead outside. Dave was hardly surprised, but his brother looked pale, like he was so shocked that he was going to pass out. Mr. Egbert nodded his head in greeting and gestured to the door.  
“I’ve taken care of all the paperwork. You two can come with me.” He offered. Dave walked straight up to him, thanking him genuinely, and shaking his hand, while Bro tentatively stood behind his younger brother, a little afraid of the man he’d attempted to steal from. Dave stepped aside, and Mr. Egbert stepped up to Dirk, holding out his hand to the older Strider.  
“Mr. Strider. It’s a pleasure to meet you outside the courthouse.” He mused, smiling pleasantly. The tall blonde hesitantly took the outstretched hand and engaged the older man in an unsure handshake.  
“You too, Mr. Egbert.” He replied automatically. The older took off his fedora, bowing his head a little, the gentlemanly version of inspecting the floor out of embarrassment. He brought his gaze back up to look Dirk in the eye, slight crows-feet appearing at the corners of his eyes as he smiled.  
“Please, call me James.” 

Dave watched the exchange, rather amused by the way his brother was completely unable to maintain his cool in the presence of the older Egbert. Despite his kind appearance, they both knew he was a force to be reckoned with, and he knew his brother was afraid of finding himself on the receiving end of that side of that anger again.

Breaking the awkward silence that had descended upon them, Mr. Egbert turned to the door, opening it and stepping outside.  
“John is waiting for us in the car. We should get going.” He announced, stepping aside to let the Striders pass. He tipped his hat to the warden before following behind the two blondes.

He pulled his keys out of his pocket, using the remote to unlock the car from the steps. Dave bounded right up and jumped into the backseat with John without waiting, while Dirk waited silently at the passenger side door for Mr. Egbert to get in before he opened the door.

Eventually, all 3 were in the car, and they were heading home. John and Dave held hands in the back seat, chatting animatedly like nothing had even happened, but conversation didn’t come so abundantly in the front. It remained that way until they arrived at the Strider’s home. 

Dirk hastily got out of the car, thanking James for his kindness, and offering an invitation for assistance, should the Egberts ever need it. They bid their goodbyes, and the older brother called for Dave to get out of the car.  
“Actually, John and I were hoping I could stay with the Egberts for tonight?” He poked his head out the window, waiting for his brother’s response. Dirk sighed and rolled his eyes.  
“Don’t look at me. You’re a grown-up, Li’l Bro. If anyone, you need to be talking to Mr. Egber- James- about that stuff.” Dave turned instead to look at the older Egbert, who merely nodded in approval.  
“Sweet.” Dave exclaimed, turning back to Dirk. “I’ll be home tomorrow, okay, Bro?”  
“Cool.” They fist-bumped and said goodbye, and then they all took off, leaving Dirk outside the apartment.

Dave sighed, and let a smile creep back onto his face as he turned to face John. The brunette smiled back at him, punching him playfully in the shoulder.  
“Looks like someone’s best bros with his Bro again.” He observed. Dave merely slung one arm over John’s shoulders.  
“Looks like it.”  
“I’m glad.” He leaned over and planted a kiss on the blondes cheek, and thought to himself how glad he was to have Dave back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a warning that the next chapter will be reeeeally long, and will also contain some (pretty mild) sexual content. Nothing too active, but I suppose that if you're not looking for that kind of thing at all, here's your warning.


	27. Grande finale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning! Super long chapter and mild sexual content, you have been warned!!
> 
> It's finally finished! This is the last chapter, so now I'll get working on the two new stories, one of which is a sequel to Con Art! I really hope you've enjoyed reading, and if you've stuck with me, thank you so much for your support and all the lovely comments and the kudos, I love you all!

Upon arrival back at the Egbert estate, Jade greeted them at the door. She spotted Dave, and walked over to him, slapping him hard across the face before pulling him into a fierce hug.  
“God, you’re such a bag of dicks, but I’m glad to have you back.” She finally released him. “If only because John did nothing but mope while you were gone.” She added, quirking an eyebrow before leading everyone inside.

Shutting the door behind them, Mr. Egbert announced that he would bake a celebratory cake, and John proposed that they have a movie night as well. Everyone agreed on the terms that John could not pick the movies, and John reluctantly conceded.  
“Can I invite Nepeta?” Jade asked, to which John nodded.  
“Of course, silly. I’ve got Dave here, so I don’t see why it couldn’t be a couples movie night.” Mr. Egbert walked past, catching the end of their conversation.  
“A movie night? Would it be too much of a bother if I joined you?” He asked.  
“Of course it wouldn’t, Dad. We’re inviting Nepeta too.”  
“If we’re inviting people, do you think we should invite your brother, Dave?” He called from the kitchen. “I did feel awful leaving him alone at his apartment so suddenly, and now we’re excluding him from the celebrations! Could you give him a call for me?” Dave could hardly hold back a quiet chortle as he walked over and picked up the home phone.  
“See? Couples movie night.” He suggested, punching in the apartment’s phone number. John laughed a little himself, and Jade merely shook her head.

John and Jade chatted idly, while Dave organised Bro’s presence at their movie night in the background. Halfway through her conversation, Jade got her phone out of her pocket.  
“I should probably call Nepeta.” She announced, retreating to her room to make the phone call. Now he was alone, John decided to go harass Dave instead. The blonde was still having a conversation with his brother, so John silently walked over and slipped his arms around Dave’s slim waist, interlocking his hands over his stomach. He laughed quietly at the way Dave drew in a short breath in surprise, pausing mid sentence briefly.  
“Nah, Bro. I’m fine. Nothing’s up.” He shot a glance at John over his shoulder, but the brunette mouthed ‘sorry’ at him and he turned around and forgot it. 

With a mischievous smile on his face, he slowly brought one hand downward until it hit the hem of Dave’s jacket. He paused and fiddled with the material for a while, an innocent enough gesture, but after the short break, he kept his fingers creeping downward onto the front of the blonde’s jeans. He didn’t stop when he felt Dave tense in front of him, and exhale deeply.  
“Yeah, Bro, I know.” He continued his conversation. John started to stroke the seam on the front of Dave’s jeans lightly with two fingers, shaken by the shiver that ran down Dave’s spine. The blonde sighed, and let his head droop.  
“Bro, it’s no big deal. They don’t hate you, it’s fine. John actually thinks you‘re cool, even after you locked him in a basement.” With his face pressed against Dave’s neck he could only just pick out Bro’s response.  
“He’s a good kid, Dave. You hang onto him, alright.” Dave laughs dryly, barely repressing another shudder as John takes over the same gesture but with his palm, gradually pressing a little harder.  
“Don’t worry, Bro. He’s doing enough holding on for the both of us.” He responded, a little breathily.  
“Well, if you say old man Egbert invited me, then I’d better not disappoint him.” Bro’s muffled decision came.  
“Yeah, cool.” Dave’s voice sounded forced and he was obviously keeping his responses short, in an attempt to keep from rousing his Bro’s suspicion. But to no avail.  
“Li’l Bro, are you alright? You sound a little… Off?” John smiled into the back of Dave’s neck, earning him an elbow in the arm  
“Nah, Bro. I’m just. I’m glad you’re making an effort to… uhh… um, you know, get along with the Egberts and stuff.” He managed to say.  
“It’s no issue, little man. If you’re gonna be getting serious with little Egbert, it’s the least I can do, huh?” John tried so hard not to laugh at ‘getting serious’, and the best he could do was to start gently suckling on the skin on the back of Dave’s neck to keep himself occupied instead.  
“Cool, Bro. I’ll see you later tonight.” Dave farewelled his brother, relieved that the conversation was over, and that he didn’t have to worry about Bro catching onto what was happening on the other end of the phone. 

As soon as he pressed the ‘end call’ button, he let out a shuddering breath and unhooked John from him, turning to face the brunette.  
“Can you not?” He asked, still holding both of John’s hands.  
“What? Not feeling up to it? He asked, a smug grin growing on his face.  
“Not when I’m on the phone to my brother, no. Not to mention what the hell were you gonna do if Jade came back down, or your dad took a break from baking and saw?” He fretted, only to have John roll his eyes.  
“Once Dad gets baking, he doesn’t come out of the kitchen for at least an hour, because everything has to be clean, and Jade would happily stay on the phone to Nepeta for 3 hours. That’s why she goes up to her room.” He wriggled his hands out of Dave’s grasp as he spoke, using one to push Dave back into the wall and letting the other one find it’s previous position.  
“I won’t be a douche, I won’t stop there. Just keep it quiet, alright?” He warned, beginning to knead the front of Dave’s pants again. The blonde closed his eyes, and rested all of his weight against the wall, forgetting about the other people in the house. He trusted John to know that they wouldn’t come back for a while.

Dave relaxed, letting John do his thing, feeling the heat course through him. He bit his lip lightly, keeping himself from making any noise at all, not taking any chances of being heard. John leaned forward and pressed a few light kisses to Dave’s lips, pressing just a little firmer until he felt Dave shiver and grab onto his shoulders for support. Speeding up a little, it didn’t take long before Dave thrust his hips forward a little and buried his face into the crook of John’s neck as he finished. John kissed the side of his face, happy with the result he’d caused.  
“You can borrow some spare underwear if you need, Dave.” He offered. The blonde merely nodded against his neck, and John took a step back before leading Dave up to his room.

They got Dave some clean undergarments, (not before Dave returned the favour) and headed back downstairs. Nepeta had just arrived, and Jade rushed downstairs to greet her. John and Dave weren’t far behind her, and made it downstairs just in time to see Jade tackle the shorter girl and shower her in kisses before hugging her tight.  
“I’m so glad you’re here!” She exclaimed. 

John turned to Dave, noticing the surprise on the blonde’s face.  
“I forgot to mention, Jade got herself a girlfriend.” John whispered.  
“I thought you were kidding about ‘couples movie night’.” He replied in hushed tones, and John laughed lightly before stepping forward to greet the small blonde girl with a friendly hug. Dave introduced himself next, noting that she had been at the speed dating session, and laughed internally at how awkward that must have been for John in the beginning.

Not long after, Bro turned up, and the same ritual of greeting took place, although this time Mr. Egbert was present, having finished baking and cleaning the kitchen. And so, now that everyone was present, John announced that the movie night would begin. Mr. Egbert cut up the cake and brought out a slice for everyone, while everyone except John went through the movies and picked out a few. It didn’t take long for everything to be ready, and Jade popped the first movie into the DVD player. It was an action flick, so there were a lot of loud noises straight off the bat, which made Mr. Egbert jump in surprise, making Dirk laugh beside him. 

Jade got up and took her seat on the second couch, cuddled up beside Nepeta, while on the main couch, Dirk did the old stretch of the arms to sneak his arm around Mr. Egbert’s shoulders, and John and Dave snuggled together on the large single-seat recliner on the end. Which mostly meant, Dave sitting in the chair normally while John sat lengthways across his lap.

Halfway through the movie, during a particularly action-filled part when there was a lot of noise, Dave remembered a question he’d meant to ask earlier, but didn’t get to because of certain ‘distractions’.  
“Hey John,” He whispered. “Why did your dad come and bust me and Bro out of Jail?” John shrugged.  
“Because I asked him to try, and he agreed to consider it on the terms that he got to talk to you before he made his decision.”  
“Why did you ask him in the first place? I mean bribery is some illegal stuff. Wouldn’t that make your old man a crook like us?”  
“If there’s one good thing I learnt from you, Dave, it’s that breaking the law is sometimes the first step to being with the one you love.” He winked, and Dave immediately remembered the conversation they’d shared in his basement, and he felt his cheeks grow moist.  
“Fuck-” He muttered, feverishly wiping away the sudden and unexpected tears. John leaned over and kissed him softly.  
“I love you, Dave.” He whispered.  
“I love you too.” Came the instant response.


End file.
